Breathe Easy in a Healthier Home

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Breathe Easy in a Healthier Home</font></h2><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">(ARA) – It’s one thing to live in a well-kept home, but is it also a healthy place to live? While your home may look sparkling clean to the eye, there are a number of invisible factors that can seriously affect the health of your entire family, and even contribute to a heart attack or stroke. Chief among them is the quality of the air your family breathes while indoors.</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Up to 72 trillion microscopic irritants, or allergens, find their way into your home every day. They include dust, pollen, pet hair and dander, dust mites, mildew, lint, fungus, tobacco smoke, cooking grease and bacteria. Many of these particles are so small that your nose and throat can’t filter them out and they can get deep into your lungs.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">The Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association and American Heart Association all agree that exposure to airborne particles impairs breathing and increases the risk of asthma attack, stroke, heart attack and other serious illnesses. These fine particles enter your home through doors, windows or small openings in frames, walls and roofs. They stem from various sources outside including fossil fuel burning in vehicles and manufacturing plants, and from activities inside such as smoking or cooking.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/9a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/9a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">No matter how hard you scrub and dust, your family can still breathe in tiny little particles that can aggravate allergies and asthma, and even affect the heart. However, it is possible to have a cleaner, healthier and comfier home. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning has compiled a list of simple steps to help your family breathe easier.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">1. Clean your home’s air. </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Start with the basics by installing an effective and proven whole-home air cleaner. For example, studies show that the American Standard AccuClean(TM) whole-home air filtration system may help prevent an asthma attack, heart attack or stroke. With the highest clean air delivery rate in the industry, its patented air cleaning technology eliminates allergens and particles you don’t want in your home, such as dust, pollen, bacteria, pet dander, mold spores, smoke and the common flu virus.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">2. Control humidity. </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Keep a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent for optimal comfort and to control irritants like mildew. Controlling your household humidity can also kill dust mites, one of the most common allergens. Having a humidifier or variable-speed fan technology as part of your HVAC system can help you take control of your humidity.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">3. Repair damages. </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Have your HVAC system components, including furnaces, flues and chimneys, inspected before each heating and cooling season to repair any damages, holes or cracks. In addition to repairing your equipment, a certified HVAC dealer can inspect and clean your system’s parts and pieces, ensuring they perform at optimal efficiency. It’s not just your HVAC system — it is equally important to maintain the other components of your home that impact indoor air quality including the roof, foundation and insulation.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">By taking these simple steps you can ensure that you and your family won’t be breathing indoor air full of contaminants and, ultimately, you’ll all breathe easier. For more information on how to breathe easier at home or to locate an American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning dealer near you, visit <a href="http://www.americanstandardair.com" target="_blank">www.americanstandardair.com</a> .</p>  <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>