Question
I want to find my dear friend.
Her name is Jill Hermes,was my roommate at University of Washington in Seattle
in 1987.Perhaps her major was music and she was a flutist.Her hometown is
Montana.I really want to get in touch with her because she was so kind and she
made me happy during my stay in the U.S.A. Anybody who know anything about her
,please tell me .
Answers
I met you in Death Valley (Furnace Creek ranch resort) on the 24th of
september at breakfast.
I only know you are from vancouver and you have German Origin.
I’d like to send you a postcard and to receive one from you.
If you like too, tell me something so that i can recognize you and we can
exchange our addres (Do you remember where i’m from?
Whome i was traveling with? What i was eating while we were talking
together?

I hope to hear something from you

Question
If, by some perversion of nature, it has actually rained in Death
Valley

I’ve spent one night in Death Valley and it rained. Despite the rarity
value it wasn’t quite what someone from the West of Scotland wanted
from the trip.

The flowers were nice though.

Where did you stay? When we drove through we saw a fairly pants
visitor centre and the rest was just scenery.
Answers
There is a lodge near the visitors centre – just like 100 yards down the
road – and the cabins there are basic, but nice. Ann & me staid there
after Chrimbo. That one’s called the Furnace Creek Ranch resort. THere
is also a nicer, rather expensive place called the Furnace Creek Inn a
little further up the road.

http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/

Not found

Question
We are buying a new house, and, in our current house we just purchased an
air conditioner/furnace that has a humidifier (we live in Denver) and an
ultraviolet light to clean the air.

In our new house, we’re also getting a humidifier, but, they don’t offer the
ultraviolet lamp, but, do offer an electrostatic air filter. Since I have
asthma and my wife has sinus problems, we are thinking of getting it.

I’ve read here that the various electrostatic air cleaners that are
stand-alone are actually worse for asthma, due to the ozone. What about one
in central air?

Thanks!
Answers
I think you’re referring to what’s known as an electrostatic precipitator.
These are the large, bulky units mounted on the furnace’s return air plenum.
You remove the pre-filter screens and the cells about every 4 weeks to clean
them. These units are normally referred to as “electronic air cleaners”.

An electrostatic filter simply replaces your furnace’s one-inch filter.
Some are okay, some are crap. 3M makes a disposable version which a few of
the allergists around here, (Ottawa, Ontario — furnaces get used a lot in
our climate for both heating and A/C), recommend. It’s disposable, but does
a pretty good job. The 3M filter might cost you $12 to $15 or so. The
permanent versions, and there are a lot of manufacturers, shouldn’t cost you
more than about $40 to $60. They’ll last you a few years with religious
cleaning, but there are a lot of scam artists, including a lot of heating
and A/C contractors and duct cleaners who will charge up to $300 to $400.
Don’t get ripped off.

Electronic air cleaners have been around over 50 years now, and are still
the best way to filter the air going through your furnace. Here in Canada,
there’s a federal gov’t organization called the “Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation”. They do a lot of research into home building, renovation,
healthy homes, air quality, and the like. They have a website which I’ll
try to dig up tomorrow if you’re interested. Four or five years ago, they
did a study on all the different types of furnace filtration systems. The
electronic air cleaner was far and away the clear winner.

When an electronic air cleaner has clean cells, there’s really no lower
limit to the particle size it can capture. That’s the good news. The bad
news is the cells will get dirty enough in a few hours of running to greatly
reduce it’s efficiency at capturing small particles. It’s the only type of
furnace filter whose efficiency decreases as it get dirty.

One caveat about the study, though. It was done strictly with a viewpoint
of filtering efficiency; not taking allergies or asthma into account. It
does however, mention the fact that electronic air cleaners normally produce
small amounts of ozone. If the unit ever goes out of whack, it can put out
so much ozone that it can be overwhelming. Not a good thing for anybody,
especially with asthma and sinus problems in the house. Even the trace
amounts of ozone a properly-running unit emits is enough for a lot of folks
I know with severe asthma to have stopped using it.

One system worth looking at are the high-efficiency, deep-pleated media
filters. They get installed on your furnace the same way as an electronic
air cleaner, but rather than being electrically powered, they use a large
cartridge about 4 or 5 inches deep, with close-together pleats to filter.
Most heating and A/C contractors carry one or two brands. (Honeywell,
Aprilaire, Spacegard, White-Rogers, etc.) They’re not quite as efficient as
an electronic air cleaner, but then again, there’s no ozone.

Whatever you do, don’t get suckered into buying a HEPA system for your
furnace. HEPA will do a good job in a stand-alone air cleaner in a specific
room, but the furnace systems, no matter who makes them, are junk. They’re
all bypass systems; because HEPA is such a dense filter material, if you try
to filter all the return air going to your furnace, you will starve the
furnace fan for air. The furnace’s safety system kicks in, and will shut
down the furnace. That’s why the central HEPA systems only filter 30% to
40%, (depending on manufacturer), of the return air. You still would need
something very good in place right on the furnace. Also, they’re
ridiculously expensive, and you have to change the expensive filters on most
of them at least once a year.

It really is worth doing a lot of research into this. It is your health,
after all. And relying on a salesman’s or manufacturer’s recommendation is
not always in your best interest.

By the way, the ultraviolet systems are not filters. They do, however,
usually kill biological things like mold, bacteria, and virus, as long as
those organisms pass through the lamps field. Ultraviolet lamps also
generally emit slight amounts of ozone, and much more when they don’t have
any organisms to “work” on.

I apologize for the long post, but I really hate seeing people get taken to
the cleaners when it comes to their health. Good luck, Bill.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:Do electrostatic air cleaners for a household gas furnace work?
I’m thinking of getting a whole house electrostatice air cleaner installed? Do they actually work better than the regular fiberglass/allergy/paper filters? Is there any negative aspects to using them?

• Answer:I would Highly recommend a Media Type Air Cleaner. I owned a electrostatic air cleaner for about 5 years and wasted too much money on them. The biggest problem with them is the main circuit board goes bad and every time that happened it would cost about $500 and it happened about 3 times in 5 years so about $1500 to keep my house air clean and that air cleaner did not really do anything to keep my house air clean,Plus it is a pain to clean those cells every month.What the manufacture does is change the style about every two years so along with it the part “main board” changes also prices for the main board keep going up.Most of the electrostatic air cleaners are becoming extinct. I got rid of that air cleaner and purchased a Aprilaire Spaceguard media air cleaner it only cost about $400 to install and about $20 for new media every year there is nothing to go bad with them and they do perform way better then the electrostatic and they do keep most of the dust out,I noticed a big difference right away..I have had the Spaceguard for 9 years with no problems what so ever. Check out these websites and good luck! http://www.aircleaners.com/wholehouse.phtml http://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewcategory.cfm?categoryID=77 http://www.acca.org/consumer/filters.php

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:Does it affect furnace efficency by putting filters in room cold air returns?
My furnace is a Lennox Pulse forced air with air cleaners on one side.

• Answer: the more filters you have in the system the better the air quality,,,because it gets more of the dirt and dust out of the air. However you should keep your eye on them and dont let them get too clogged up where it would affect the air flow.

Question:3
Subject:Can you add a carbon prefilter in front of your furnace filter to help with dust, animal dander, and smells?
Notice that most air cleaners have a carbon prefilter and was wondering if this could also be done with a household furnace filter? Hi Efficiency furnace/air conditioner (TRANE)

• Answer:It really depends on several things. If you are currently using a high efficiency filter and then you add a second filter to the system you may encounter some of the problems that Thor mentions. But if you are only using a moderately efficient filter and install a second filter you may be fine. There are a couple of options for carbon filtration that I am aware of for home owners. One is the pleated type of carbon filter. These are made of a material with carbon fibers added to the filter material. They are black and look the same as a pleated panel filter. I think they work OK, I have used them several times for customers and they seem happy with the results. Another option is to install carbon media pads with your regular media pad. Media air filters are not the most efficient filters available but they do an adequate job and having the second pad, which is thinner, doesn’t have a drastic impact on air flow. If you are using an electronic filter, not electrostatic, you can add the pre-filter if you want. Electronic air filters have very little impact on air flow so adding the pre-filter would only be like having one filter in the system anyway. Also if there is a foam pre-filter with the electronic filter, remove it when you install the new one. If your duct system is undersized and air flow is already an issue, you should stay away from a pre-filter of any kind. If you do try adding a pre-filter, monitor the system closely and change the filters regularly. If you don’t, you are looking for trouble.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:What is your vacuum cleaners worst enemy besides neglect? Want to NEVER buy another vacuum filter again?
Just a couple of the many tips that I have for vacuum cleaners. So, what’s the clogger king? HAIRPINS, BOBIPINS! I service vacuum cleaners and the number one thing I find in the hoses of clogged vacuums are the hairpins that end up lodged sideways there because the spinning brushroller underneath the vacuum separates the pin and everything that follows must somehow travel around the pin. It’s usually a small piece of cardboard, or a matchbook cover. REMEDY? Get yourself a magnet and skim the floor first. You can also get a magnetic strip that goes across the front of the vacuum online at any vacuum cleaner parts supplier. Now, for the filters. Hepa’s CLOG! FAST! The vacuum cleaner manufactures know this and they screw you out of your money. PERIOD! Hoover uses ELECTROSTATIC MEDIA to make their filters. So you know what they do. 99.97%… SO DO THESE: A TEN PACK OF 4″ X 11″ ELECTROSTATIC REGISTER VENT FILTERS- cut-STACK-glue COST? $2.79 where? Lowe’s in the furnace filter section. Thank You! Now as far as the long blond hair? If you get a carpet rake available at an online store called Hesco ( at hescoinc.c..) they happen to have a very nice carpet rake that has a cool “icee” blue 18″ wide plastic front with several flexible metal tines and a wooden handle. I get their catalogs and this rake is on their “big savings type page” I think it is around $15-$16. These rakes work great to pick up hair and other small fuzzy build, especially from brand new carpet. In the end it will save your vacuum cleaner too. While I’m here I’ll also mention the best ways to clean your carpet. (the Kirby owner will like this) The BEST way to MAINTAIN a carpet is with a Kirby shampoo set-up on a Kirby vacuum cleaner. If it’s very dirty,I clean carpet for a living & use a big heavy SPIN-BONNET cleaner (looks like a buffer- BONNETS are “SLOWSPEED” machines, where as buffers are typically “HIGHSPEED”. For the BEST CLEAN always call a company that 1st Bonnets THEN Extracts

• Answer:Hey thanks for the tips, especially the filter info. Now, I have very long blonde hair that wraps around the beater bar burning up the rubber belt. How do I stop that?

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:How much have you paid to have your carpets professionally cleaned?
I’m not talking about the Rug Doctor rentals, I mean the companies that have large trucks and use hot water extraction. If you have used these services before, what amount of carpet did they clean, how much did it cost, and were you satisfied? Any personal experience with furnace and duct cleaners would also be appreciated. Thank you!

• Answer:When my mom moved into a 2 bedroom condo I had Sears come in to clean the carpets. I am unsure of the room sizes but they are average for a condo (livingroom-dining room combo, small hallway and 1 bedroom) I believe the cost was around $250-300. In all honesty, I was very unimpressed with both the quality and stain removal. I used to have an inexpensive carpet cleaning machine (add cleaner and empty water) and I was much happy with the results of that.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:A question about electronic air cleaners?
The house my wife and I purchased has a Triton Electronic Air Cleaner attached to the furnace. I know little about them. I was told to remove the inner unit periodically, and wash it in the dishwasher. I’ve done this on a six month bases. The first couple of years, the unit would sometimes make an electrical snapping noise when dirt, etc. came in contact. The unit no longer seems to do this. Is it no longer working? The high voltage indicator lights are both on.

• Answer:First problem is that you are throwing good money after bad. Electronic air cleaners are energy hogs and actually produce ozone within a month of picking up dust. My suggestion would be to remove the guts (cell) and replace the prefilter with an Electro Breeze air cleaner from http://www.electro-breeze-supply.com/air_purifier_asthma.html The Electro Breeze produces no ozone and is 97% efficient down to 0.3 microns. You change the media pad every 2-4 months in less than 1 minute and the pads cost about $12 each. Lots of our customers have done the same with the same unit and are very happy with the results. I hope this helps.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:Is carpet known to contrributing more dust in homes? My house’s air is so dusty, Ive done evrything,?
bought air cleaners, electronic air cleaner and best filters for the furnace, still I see dust like mist in the spotlight’s beam. Maybe the carpet need to be replaced? thanks

• Answer:Its not that they contribute dust its that they can’t be properly cleaned. That’s why people with allergies cant have carpets.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:Does air travelling via a simple fan through an electrostatic filter (like Filtrete) get ionized?
Just to clarify a prior question, I had; I’ve heard that ionized air can be potentially harmful (i.e. free radicals) so I want to avoid air cleaners that ionize air. The 3M Filtrete electrostatic polyolefin-based filters (very common in furnace filters, and now as part of a standalone air purifier) are pre-charged with a static charge to attract dirt, dust, and particles of inflowing air. My question is, as non-ionized (regular) air travels through the filter (via a simple fan, there is no ionizer involved) is there any way that it could pick up any of the charge on the electrostatic filter, or that the air can become somewhat ionized in any way or form after it leaves the filter? Now, AFAIK, air doesn’t conduct charges well, so my guess would be no, but I’d like to have an expert opinion.

• Answer:No, this isn’t possible. The static charge is basically “fixed”. If it were possible, it would discharge pretty quickly in the bag, well before you purchased and installed it.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:Does air travelling through an electrostatic filter (like Filtrete) get ionized?
I’ve heard that ionized air can be potentially harmful (i.e. free radicals) so I want to avoid air cleaners that ionize air. The 3M Filtrete electrostatic polyolefin-based filters (very common in furnace filters, and now as part of a standalone air purifier) are pre-charged with a static charge to attract dirt, dust, and particles of inflowing air. My question is, as air travels through the filter (via a fan) is there any way that it could pick up any of the charge on the electrostatic filter, or that the air can become somewhat ionized in any way or form after it leaves the filter? Now, AFAIK, air doesn’t conduct charges well, so my guess would be no, but I’d like to have an expert opinion.

• Answer:they are missnamed, they dont truly ionize air. they clean the air by allowing the elctrostatic charge to cause impurities to stick to the filters, but the air itself does not ionize. ionized gases tend to glow and release heat.

Associated Furnace Cleaners Question:How do I put a stop to my furnace putting out a lot of dust?
My furnace is about six years old. About two years ago it started putting out a lot of dust. I have had three furnace companies look at it. No solution. One of them did a complete duct cleaning (both directions), nada. The first guy who installed the furnace said that the furnace was working properly. The second guy said the furnace was installed IMPROPERLY, trashed the installer, said it was junk and wanted to sell me a new Rheem for $3200. I asked him what about the first three years when there was no dust? Shrug. The third guy who did the duct cleaning said that the furnace was good, but there was probably a lot of outside dust coming in. Nobody has helped. I change the filters regularly and use the best filters. This problem has caused a number of ER runs with breathing problems.. I am using my furnace very little now, inhalers when needed and room air cleaners. I am on a fixed income and just about going nuts with this problem. HELP PLEASE!!!!

• Answer:Perhaps the problem is with your allergies. You may be becoming more sensative to dust. Just a thought.

Question
Hello everyone,

I need to make a necklace with the softest gold. I have tried mixing pure
gold with zinc and lead but that seemed to make it even harder…
I would appreciate any postings regarding this topic.

thank you,
Answers
Sorry to hear about the lead (BADD IDEA- destroys the metal) and the zinc
isn’t a lot better, though it’s widely used in small amounts to deoxidise
carat gold casting alloys.
Basically, pure, 24K gold is the softest, but I gather you want to mix it
with something. You have two main choices. Copper or silver. You can
also mix it with platinum or palladium, but you end up with white metal.
Nice stuff if that’s what you wanted…

With copper and silver, if you are looking for a good jewelry alloy,
anything from 22 carat (very soft, higher melting and a bit hard to cast)
to 18 K will still be quite soft. In general, copper gives a harder
metal, with a redder color, while silver gives a softer metal, which also
doesn’t work harden as much. The silver rich mix is also quite pale
yellow in color, though at 18K it’s still quite bright.

I usually use about half and half copper and silver for 18K. gives a
nicely workable alloy with a good color, and while hard enough to hold up
in jewelry, it is still quite soft and workable. (Keep in mind that I’m
a goldsmith by trade, and my idea of easy to work may not be yours. This
alloy is still harder than sterling silver, though not by too much)

With all yellow gold alloys, anneal by heating to just barely red heat
(darkened room, dark red glow) or about 900 to 1100 degrees F. or so.
quench from the red heat for maximum softness. Note that if you heat it
too high or too long, you will get more grain growth with a loss in
strength, poorer texture, and no additional softness. If you are furnace
annealing, you can anneal at a lower temperature ( 750 for a half hour
should do it. Still quench from that heat). But torch annealing is so
simple that it isn’t worth the bother for small lots or pieces. Clean the
metal first, then dip in a thin mix of boric acid powder mixed with
denatured alcohol. Dry or burn it off. should leave a light whitish
film. Then when you anneal, this will protect the metal from oxidation.
Remove in pickle (sodium bisulfite or some such thing- trade name Sparex)
or boiling water.
Good luck. feel free to E-mail me with other questions or
clarifications…
Peter Rowe

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:Redundancy Temperature Control for annealing furnace?
I have 5 zones Temperature controller for my ductile pipe annealing. Currently I make used of 1 thermocouple to control and often time when thermocouple is burnt or damaged I lost the zone control. I want to add additional thermocouple with some instrument added to take the signal form the serviceable thermocouple when one of the thermocouple fail. In this way it will not interrupt my process. How do I do that and where can I buy the redundacy takeover equipment.?

• Answer:Hey Tai….tell me you have a controller with a NC contact..If you do wire the K-type thermo into the system so that on temperature drop the contact point drive a 4PDT relay use the poles for the thermocouple and the other two for an anuunciator to alert your on secondary position. If you don’t have that contact on the temp controller get a digital controller for that zone .I know that simple control is always the best or at least that’s my motto. Look into this type http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Dual-Digital-F-C-PID-Temperature-Control-Controller-/370406982524?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563dfa037c it has the output to accommodate your needs…From the E..

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:A supporting beam for a furnace exhaust tube made from an aluminium alloy fails in a short time.?
In order to improve corrosion resistance and strength, a beam supporting the exhaust tube from annealing furnace was mae from an age hardened aluminium alloy. In a short time the beam started to bend and failure occurred. Explain the cause of the failure and advise a better solution.

• Answer:You should be considering something fabricated from stainless steel or Inconel. Aluminum just will not take the temperature. Also if there is any cycling of the temperatures then the aluminum can work harden.

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:The drawing ratio of a coil of sheet decreased after annealing,what can be the causes?Explain.?
A coil of sheet metal is taken to a furnace & annealed ,in order to improve its ductility.It is found ,however,that the sheet has a lower limiting drawing ratio than it had before annealin g .Explain why this has occured?

• Answer:it has made it more brittle and produced a lldr

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:is it possible to make a full annealing process of carbon steel (sa 106 gr-C) in electrical furnace?
what method of heating used in electrical furnace

• Answer:Yes, it is possible. You can have a direct heating furnace, where the nickel-chromium or molybdenum or silicon carbide heating elements are in the same chamber as the work, and the work is heated by radiant heating. Or you can use a retort furnace, where the retort is heated by radiation and the work is heated by convection, within the retort.

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:Beam failure, corrosion resistance, strength, Engineering Materials?
Hey everyone, got a research piece to do and am just asking for some ideas or views on what I should research adn include in relation to the question, maybe even how you might do it. I realise it is very broad and I assume a few assumptions will be made but yeah, have a read and let me know you thoughts In order to improve corrosion resistance and strength, a beam supporting the exhaust tube from an annealing furnace was made from an age hardened aluminium alloy. In a short time the beam started to bend and failure occured. Explain the cause of the failure and advise a better solution. You don;t have to go into to much detail, jsut some ideas views or what ever, thanks

• Answer:Try a higher heat-resistant alloy or base steel for the beam. Although cured(aged), aluminum has a relatively low heat tolerance. Also, their should have been some insulation heat barrier specified by a registered Engineer. Hope the entire place didn’t burn down!

Associated Furnace Annealing Question:plz plz plz help me with this asap?
This is the original question for my assignment: In order to improve corrosion resistance and strength, a beam supporting the exhaust tube from annealing furnace was made from an age hardened aluminium alloy. In a short time the beam started to bend and failure occurred. Explain the cause of the failure and advise a better solution. I have nearly finished it but i wanted to know if an age hardened aluminium alloy support beam that has been subjected to continual high temp and cooling cycles, it will suffer corrosion fatigue but will it suffer stress corrosion and therefore because of the heating maybe segregation within metal between the aluminium and its alloy will cause galvanic corrosion (due to the cracks in the grain boundaries from stress corrosion)? Will you be able to tell me if this would happen?

• Answer:the beam was not strong Enif do to the wait of the ageist

Question
We are buying a new house, and, in our current house we just purchased
an
air conditioner/furnace that has a humidifier (we live in Denver) and an
ultraviolet light to clean the air.

In our new house, we’re also getting a humidifier, but, they don’t offer
the
ultraviolet lamp, but, do offer an electrostatic air filter. Since I
have
asthma and my wife has sinus problems, we are thinking of getting it.

I’ve read here that the various electrostatic air cleaners that are
stand-alone are actually worse for asthma, due to the ozone. What about
one
in central air?

Thanks!

I think you’re referring to what’s known as an electrostatic precipitator.
These are the large, bulky units mounted on the furnace’s return air
plenum.
You remove the pre-filter screens and the cells about every 4 weeks to
clean
them. These units are normally referred to as “electronic air cleaners”.

An electrostatic filter simply replaces your furnace’s one-inch filter.
Some are okay, some are crap. 3M makes a disposable version which a few
of
the allergists around here, (Ottawa, Ontario — furnaces get used a lot in
our climate for both heating and A/C), recommend. It’s disposable, but
does
a pretty good job. The 3M filter might cost you $12 to $15 or so. The
permanent versions, and there are a lot of manufacturers, shouldn’t cost
you
more than about $40 to $60. They’ll last you a few years with religious
cleaning, but there are a lot of scam artists, including a lot of heating
and A/C contractors and duct cleaners who will charge up to $300 to $400.
Don’t get ripped off.

Electronic air cleaners have been around over 50 years now, and are still
the best way to filter the air going through your furnace. Here in
Canada,
there’s a federal gov’t organization called the “Canada Mortgage and
Housing
Corporation”. They do a lot of research into home building, renovation,
healthy homes, air quality, and the like. They have a website which I’ll
try to dig up tomorrow if you’re interested. Four or five years ago, they
did a study on all the different types of furnace filtration systems. The
electronic air cleaner was far and away the clear winner.

When an electronic air cleaner has clean cells, there’s really no lower
limit to the particle size it can capture. That’s the good news. The bad
news is the cells will get dirty enough in a few hours of running to
greatly
reduce it’s efficiency at capturing small particles. It’s the only type
of
furnace filter whose efficiency decreases as it get dirty.

One caveat about the study, though. It was done strictly with a viewpoint
of filtering efficiency; not taking allergies or asthma into account. It
does however, mention the fact that electronic air cleaners normally
produce
small amounts of ozone. If the unit ever goes out of whack, it can put
out
so much ozone that it can be overwhelming. Not a good thing for anybody,
especially with asthma and sinus problems in the house. Even the trace
amounts of ozone a properly-running unit emits is enough for a lot of
folks

I know with severe asthma to have stopped using it. One system worth looking at are the high-efficiency, deep-pleated media
filters. They get installed on your furnace the same way as an electronic
air cleaner, but rather than being electrically powered, they use a large
cartridge about 4 or 5 inches deep, with close-together pleats to filter.
Most heating and A/C contractors carry one or two brands. (Honeywell,
Aprilaire, Spacegard, White-Rogers, etc.) They’re not quite as efficient
as
an electronic air cleaner, but then again, there’s no ozone.

Whatever you do, don’t get suckered into buying a HEPA system for your
> furnace. HEPA will do a good job in a stand-alone air cleaner in a
specific
room, but the furnace systems, no matter who makes them, are junk.
They’re
all bypass systems; because HEPA is such a dense filter material, if you
try
to filter all the return air going to your furnace, you will starve the
furnace fan for air. The furnace’s safety system kicks in, and will shut
down the furnace. That’s why the central HEPA systems only filter 30% to
40%, (depending on manufacturer), of the return air. You still would need
something very good in place right on the furnace. Also, they’re
ridiculously expensive, and you have to change the expensive filters on
most
of them at least once a year.

It really is worth doing a lot of research into this. It is your health,
after all. And relying on a salesman’s or manufacturer’s recommendation
is
not always in your best interest.

By the way, the ultraviolet systems are not filters. They do, however,
usually kill biological things like mold, bacteria, and virus, as long as
those organisms pass through the lamps field. Ultraviolet lamps also
generally emit slight amounts of ozone, and much more when they don’t have
any organisms to “work” on.

I apologize for the long post, but I really hate seeing people get taken
to
the cleaners when it comes to their health. Good luck, Bill.

Garth made allot of sense.We have electrostatic system and a honey well
Answers
The electrostatic supposidly does something , we hear a crackling
noise. But the metal screen picks up very little dirt. Somehow I think I am
not using the right filter with it. Anyway next to it we use a honeywell
filter with good rating . Between the two it does ok but I worry about the
ozone, for what garth said came true. The unit malfunctioned and I could
actually smell the ozone , it was horrible. (I wonder if the daily flow of
ozone causes me problems)

Question
Just to ask a question Colin, then would you say that electronic furnace
filters (that may create some ions in your house) are also bad news for
asthmatics?
Thanks in advance,
Answers
Okay, I really don’t have a clue what an electrostatic unit does differently. I
think it electrically charges different particles onto a screen and traps them? It is
a thin screen and you can add a carbon filter to the unit as well.
(Yes and it is run by electricity).
Now the electronic unit I own has 2 cells in it that precipitate? the dust particles
etc..out of the air. You hear a zap as this is done.
This unit is supposed to be bad as it creates ions, free radicals and ozone. ( I
really don’t know..but that’s what they say)
I mean who says the electrostatic one doesn’t do the same thing?
I really don’t know much about air cleaners…etc.. and I’m still learning..
I just know that we are about to spend in the $5,000.00 range on our furnace to get
the hepa unit, an air exchanger and a humidifier (that doesn’t create mold)
installed. Mama mia!!!
I thought this was steep…but if nothing else works,hey I’m about ready to try
anything!!!!
Thanks for the web sites, I’ve been too busy as of yet to check them out.