Are there Air Purifiers with reusable filters?
Water Coolers Which Benefit both Health and Environment
Dennis Friedrichs of Chicagoland Water Conditioning & Purification in Morton Grove, Illinois, is just the expert you need if you’re looking to buy a water cooler in Chicago. Friedrichs’ company has been improving water quality in Chicago’s homes and businesses since 1969, and drinking water systems are an important part of his business.
In recent years, water coolers have gotten a lot more sophisticated. If you’re in the market for an office or residential water cooler, then don’t go for the “old standard” bottled water delivery service. Rather, opt for a plumbed-in system that delivers chilled, filtered water straight from the tap. At Chicagoland Water Conditioning & Purification, we focus on drinking water solutions that offer enhanced health and environmental benefits over bottled water systems.
Benefits to Health
Most doctors recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, as adequate hydration is essential for optimal health and job performance. Water helps you to stay alert, boosts metabolism, aids in digestion, helps to regulate your body temperature, and keeps your joints and muscles lubricated. By making it easy to grab a glass of cold water, water coolers serve as a reminder to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Water coolers come in all shapes and sizes, from simple wall-mounted water fountains to sophisticated plumbed-in systems that provide instant hot or cold water at the touch of a button. While not all water coolers come with the same bells and whistles, all offer one big benefit – encouraging your employees or family members to drink more water throughout the day.
By removing many of the contaminants found in tap water, water filtration and purification systems offer even greater health benefits. When it comes to water quality, however, bottled water systems can’t compete with plumbed-in systems. We’ve all heard the rumors that some types of bottled water are really just tap water wrapped in plastic. Unfortunately, it’s true. In my experience, unless the water is labeled as “filtered” or “purified,” it likely contains many of the same contaminants found in tap water. Today’s plumbed-in water treatment systems, though, ensure that your drinking water is crystal clear, free from chemical and biological contaminants, and safe for everyone in your home or office to enjoy.
Benefits to Environment
As we know, bottled water is a leading source of plastic pollution. Although recycling capability exists, only about 15% of plastic water bottles are actually recycled. The vast majority of used water bottles end up in landfills, exacerbating an already dismal waste management situation. In fact, some municipalities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and our home town, Chicago, have gone so far as to ban the use of city dollars to purchase bottled water.
In addition, bottled water systems pose real environmental problems as well. The manufacturing, transport and distribution of bottled water come with a fairly sizeable environmental footprint. Bottled water requires a tremendous amount of energy to produce, creating an unnecessary drain on limited fossil fuel resources. And the burning of those fossil fuels contributes to ozone depletion and air pollution.
To avoid contributing to the growing environmental problems associated with bottled water, you can install a drinking water system that delivers fresh, clean water straight from the tap. But don’t forget that plastic and paper cups are also environmentally irresponsible. At Chicagoland Water Conditioning & Purification, we strongly encourage the use of BPA-free reusable plastic water bottles to stay hydrated without the waste of disposable cups.
About the Author
Dennis Friedrichs is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a <a href=”<a href=”http://local.yodle.com/articles”>http://local.yodle.com/articles”>plumber</a> or more <a href=” http://local.yodle.com/articles/”>plumber</a> articles at Yodle Consumer Guide.
How To Clean a K&N Air Filter
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I am not aware of any ‘reusable’ filters that are effective for removing pollen. Most of the better air filters have a course, reusable pre-filter to extend the life of the real filter. The best filters usually have 3 or 4 stages of filtration, each one progressively finer so the HEPA core filter only has to be replaced once a year of less.
Generally, you don’t want to keep reusing a filter because the pores clog with allergens. In order to effectively capture the allergens, the pores have to be small enough and ‘washing’ a filter alters who the fibers lay down. As a result, their efficiency changes with each wash/dry cycle.
I’ve tried a lot of vacuums, and to be honest the best performing one I found was a little 7.2 amp Hoover with ‘allergen filtration’ bags. You pull so much dirt up over the course of a month, that HEPA filters clog quickly and reduce air flow through the vacuum. When my vacuum no longer feels like it is lifting up the carpet, then I replace the bag (usually about 75% full). One thing I have learned, the price has nothing to do with actual performance. I have settled on Hoover because I found that they really suck.
http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?model=U5491900&ds=false
http://www.hoover.com/parts/?category=bags&part=4010100Y
Remember, many of the cleaners used in the home are irritants. So by cleaning so much trying to help your allergies, you can unintentionally make them worse.
There are electrostatic air purifiers that do not even have a filter like the others. You take them apart and wash them. The Oreck 2000 is an example. You do not ever buy filters for it.
NOOOoooooo!!!!!
If you can wash it, it is not a very good filter. The most important thing in picking an air filter is to get the proper size filter for the volume of air you are going to clean. Most manufacturers rate their machines on square footage, but you are cleaning not two dimensions but three. You are not cleaning the surface area of the floor (square footage) but the volume of air in the room (cubic feet). First, determine the volume of the room (square footage times height of ceiling). Next, look at the amount of air the filter’s motor will move on each of the speeds (as expressed in cfm – cubic feet per minute).
Divide the volume of air in the room by the cfm of the motor and that tells you how many minutes it will take to get one air exchange. Divide 60 (the number of minutes in an hour) by the number of minutes for one air exchange. You want a minimum of 6 air exchanges per hour and more like 8 or 10 to really do the trick. Also, remember that ionizers don’t get rid of anything, they just cause particles to fall or stick together and stay away from anything that produces ozone.
Personally, I have austin air machines in my house because the filters last for years and years.
I’ll give you some links to read about how to pick a filter and a link to a site that doesn’t sell filters, it just rates them and finally a link to a picture of the machine I have. With the right size machine, you should not have to vacuum twice a day