About Hepa Filters

A HEPA filter can be an important part of common air purifier systems to improve the air quality in your home or workplace.
But there are a lot of misconceptions about the HEPA standard, whether or not an air purifier or filter truly meets the HEPA standard and what a HEPA filter can and can’t do.

Let’s take a look at what the HEPA standard means and how a HEPA filter can deal with various types of pollutants in your home.

To understand how HEPA works, think of it as mesh of tangled fibres. The sheet is usually folded into pleats to increase the surface area and filter life. Air flows through the fibres and large enough particles get trapped when they hit the fibres. So it’s a size game which very clearly helps understand what HEPA can filter and what not.

HEPA works well and is effective at removing large enough particulate matter like pet dander, pollen and dust mites. Other particulates can be caught but continue to cause concern on the filter such as mould, bacteria, viruses or fungi.

VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are airborne chemicals that mostly derive from off-gassing of building materials or products in our homes or work place as well as cleaning products aside from other sources like beauty products.

The most concerning health effect associated with VOCs is that some are well-known carcinogens. HEPA filters are unable to remove VOC’s as they simply are far smaller in size than what can be trapped.

Viruses: Much like VOCs, viruses are also too small to be removed.

Despite this fact, HEPA based products were marketed for a long time with the claim to protect from viruses. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now regulated that HEPA filter-based products can no longer make that claim.

Bacteria: While bacteria are large enough to be trapped, bacteria are understood to release endotoxins into the air stream when dying on the air filter surface. Studies have demonstrated that endotoxins cause inflammatory and atopic responses in none-asthmatic and asthmatic participants.

Mould: Mould spores are large enough to be caught in HEPA filters but stay alive on the filter surface. Other particles that accumulate and fill the filter start acting as nutrients and allow mould spores to potentially grow on and through the filter membrane and eventually release new spores into the air.

It is important to say that frequent replacement of filters is critical since pathogens collected on the filter can include live organisms and eventually pathogens are re-released into the air.

A HEPA filter needs to be understood only to be a part of the solution in improving your indoor air quality. As you can tell above, HEPA has many shortcomings, particularly for submicron particulates such as VOCs and viruses.

Contamination in Hvac Systems

Many studies have proven that the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems can become contaminated with organic pollutants, bacteria, and fungi, as well as by particulate matter derived from mice, insects, and nematodes.

Since the ducting systems confect’s all rooms in the building, if building’s central HVAC system is contaminated, bacteria will continue to grow in the ductwork and circulate in the airflow, spreading to every area.

If you have your HVAC system regularly maintained, this is no guarantee of preventing future outbreaks. One good example of this is Cruise Ships!

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Because HVAC Systems Link Everything	Droplets	About Hepa Filter’s

How To Prevent Mold In Your Hvac System

Excessive moisture in your Home or Office space produces a number of problems, such as mold and mildew growth inside your HVAC system and ductwork. Prevent microorganisms from spreading throughout your home when you know how to prevent mold in HVAC systems. We walk you through how to detect mold growth in HVAC and solutions to keep your HVAC system protected.

Causes that Lead to Mold in HVAC Systems

The leading causes behind mold growth inside HVAC equipment are:

Humidity / Condensation / Poor Ventilation

Humidity

High humidity levels in your home are the biggest cause of mold growth inside the HVAC system as well as inside the house itself. Summer months are usually the time when natural humidity is at its highest, though moisture issues exist in the home year-round. This includes excess humidity caused by showers and baths, washing machines, and other appliances.

Condensation

While your HVAC units run, your system develops condensation through the air ducts due to moisture within the air. The cooling process also creates a great deal of condensation, as it naturally removes moisture from the air. Normally, this condensation drains away from your home through the condensate drain pan and condensate lines, but if malfunctions or clogs occur, moisture cannot escape and backs up.

Poor Ventilation

If your home is poorly vented, it causes pockets of stagnant moist air to form indoors. Any steam or evaporating water in your air creates more humidity that cannot be circulated out because of poor ventilation. These issues often arise when bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods are not properly used or have malfunctioned.

The Answer Comes From Nature 

Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil in a specially formulated GermXit Air Purification Gel.  The Gel is specifically designed to provide controlled and sustained release of Pure Tea Tree Oil vapor in high volume, high flow areas such as the Air Handling Unit (AHU) of an air conditioning system. GermXit Air Purification Gel, stops the spread of invisible Mould, Bacteria, Viruses and Reduces Co2 Levels. No installation of equipment or training is required. A natural product with no maintenance or energy costs.

Special Note

If the area you are treating has a particularly difficult problem with molds or fungi, problems with suspected microbial infections or a history of odors or history of reported respiratory discomfort by occupants, we highly recommend first washing the cooling coils and filters with Zeffer Coil Duct Cleaner Spray, then installing double the recommended amount of Zeffer Air Purification Gel for the first 30 to 40 days.

Available in the Following Sizes:-

Zeffer Air Purification Gel is suitable for any Industrial or Commercial AHU system. If you require help on installation or gel quantities Please Email for a free consultation.