• The Importance of High-Quality Furnace Filters for your Home

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    Introduction

    Furnace air filters are essential because they ensure that all incoming airflow is clean and that it exits in a safe state for breathing. With increasing awareness of the endangerment of indoor air pollution, furnace filters are more important than other appliances. Furnaces simply take the air, heat it or cool it, and circulate it around an apartment or building. This air can contain mildew, allergens, mold, particulate matter (PM), and all kinds of other air pollutants.

    Why are High-Quality Furnace Filters Important?

    When installing a high-quality furnace filter for a house or building, more attention will be focused primarily on the accessory itself because the main component that cleans the air is the furnace filter. Here are some points which are why high-quality air filters are essential.

    Indoor Air Quality

    The furnace filter's ability to manage indoor air quality depends on the Minimum Efficiency Ratio Value (MERV) rating system. All the furnace filters catch and clear away airborne contaminants that pass utilizing fine mesh or fabric through the furnace. The filter's MERV rating essentially indicates how tight the distance between the fibers of the furnace filter media is, which indicates its effectiveness in trapping airborne contaminants. While it may be considered that the best furnace filter for a home should have the highest MERV rating, On the other hand, it can do more harm than good. Thus, a high-quality furnace filter is significant to keep indoor air quality perfect.

    Performance of HVAC

    Air conditioning (HVAC) systems come with their own air filters. The difference is that HVAC air filters are designed to protect the ability and performance of the HVAC unit itself. The paper filters may be intended to capture dust and clutter that come with an air conditioner or heater, but the airborne particles are dangerous for machines, not people.

    Furnace filters are frequently inert and may have little effect on furnace operation or indoor comfort. Still, they actually keep buildings comfortable, maintain high indoor air quality, and play an important role in maintaining HVAC system performance. A furnace filter is designed to capture air pollutants that are thought to be responsible for serious diseases such as lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, asthma, allergies, and so on. So, the performance of HVAC matters. And this performance retains by using a high-quality air filter.

    Less Maintenance

    Changing furnace filters depends on the type of furnace filter installed. You will find a ton of options to choose from—many different types of filters to affect frequency variation. An example would be 12x12x1 Air Filter. Replace furnace filters on a monthly to yearly basis. As there are many types of filters, the frequency with which they need to be replaced is also quite broad. However, high-quality ones will require less frequent changing periods, thus less maintenance.

    Conclusion 

    The furnace filter's task is to remove particles and other pollutants from your home's air. Furnace filters improve your HVAC system's performance and efficiency on a higher level. Interest in furnace filters has been sparked by concerns about indoor air quality in homes and buildings. As the problem of indoor and outdoor air pollution is increasing day by day, the quality of furnace filters will always play an important role. If you require any high-quality furnace filters, make sure to contact Mervfilters.

    partnered post • image by Arthaey Angosii

  • Types of Exterior Drainage Systems for Your Home

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    A recent study has shown that most of the structural damage that could happen in your home will be there because of poor drainage. This can be a costly home repair, so it is important to deploy preventive measures to help save you a lot of money to keep things safe.

    Your home is an important investment and you should work hard to add in the right type of drainage to keep things safe at all times. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of stainless steel trench drains for your home.

    Types of Drainage Systems

    Understanding the risks of water damage is important when choosing the right type of drainage for your home. Without the right drainage system, you may deal with a lot of issues around the home including:

    • Damage landscape
    • Loss of home value because of the water damage
    • Health risks because mold may grow in the basement
    • Basement leaks could flood into the home and cause property damage
    • Foundation cracks that will then compromise the house’s integrity

    With all of these issues in play, you need to do the right drainage to prevent the issue. Some of the best types of drainage systems that you may consider for the exterior of your home include:

    1. French Drain

    The first type of drain that you have is the French Drain. This is a simple perforated pipe that is first installed in a flat yard. The goal of this is to help drain away any water that is standing, which can keep the whole thing safe.

    To use this pipe, you will need to excavate a trench that can then slope away from the property before installing the pipe. Gravel or another porous material will be used to help fill in the trench before the trench is finally covered.

    When there is any standing water in place, it will need to follow the easiest escape route to move away. When this is in place, it will decide to seep down to the French tile and go in a direction away from the yard to keep your foundation safe.

    2. Footing Drain

    The second type of drain found outside your home would be a footing drain. This can be very effective when it comes to a water drainage system. A pipe will be installed around the perimeter of your foundation walls, usually level with the footing to make it easy to put together.

    This pipe is going to collect any of the water that would normally leak through the footing and into the basement through the foundation walls. Since the pipe is in place though, the water will be directed away from the home to keep things safe.

    Once the drain is in place, it needs to be covered up with some gravel, up to the surface of the soil, to help with the drainage.

    3. Gutter Drainage System

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    Another option that you can choose is the gutter drainage system. There is often water that comes from the roof of your home when it rains. Without the right gutter drainage system in place, it can cause a lot of damage and havoc that will happen because it will not drain out well.

    This is when you will need to use a gutter and a downspout system. It is responsible for helping drain away all the water that is on the roof so it goes away from the walls of your house to make sure that the water does not collect there.

    Without these in place, the rainwater will still fall off the home. Without a drain to help push it away though, the water falls right by the home. This may cause damage to the walls of the home and allows water to seep into the basement when it rains hard.

    The downspout drain needs to be set up to drain away all the roof water from the walls of the home. Your goal is to direct the water to a storm sewer or catch basin. The further away that you can do this, the better it is for your home.

    4. Grading Drainage

    The fourth type of drainage that you will see is known as grading drainage. This is a simple type of drain that will involve reworking the grading to slope it away from your home. You always want to keep the water from your home. If there is a slope into the home, this may allow the water into your foundation and basement.

    When you see this happening, you need to go through and do grading drainage to help make sure the water will be moved away from the home. You should have a contractor take a look at the landscaping you have in order to assess the gradient needed to move away the water.

    You may need to do some work with the landscaping to make this one happen. The right gradient needs to be severe enough in order to help move the water away from the home and into the storm sewer while still fitting into the building code. It is best to work with a professional rather than try to do it yourself.

    Deciding to Put New Drainage In Your Yard

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    Exterior drainage systems can be a great option to help protect your home. Water is something that we can’t prevent around the home, but without the right drainage, it will cause a lot of problems to the foundation and the basement of your home. The type of drainage that you will need outside of your home will depend on the type of landscaping you have.

    Most homes will need gutter drainage to help with the rain, but the rest could depend on the way your home is organized. If you have trouble with water getting into your home when it rains, consider some of the types of drainage that you may be able to use to keep your home safe. 

    partnered post • images by Manfred Antranias Zimmer, Barry D, and sandid from Pixabay

  • new books, April 2007

    A number of books which look like they’d be very interesting to Craftsman (and other old-home) aficionados have been released recently. I’ll try to get my hands on copies of some of these for full reviews. If you are a publisher and would like to have your book reviewed here, drop me a line.