Water Filters
Why do people use water filters?
Water filters are used to upgrade the quality, taste and appearance of water in the home. Water filters can also be used to eliminate concerns about contaminants and other potential health hazards in tap water.
What do water filters do?
Water filters eliminate a number of common water problems in the home, including chlorine taste or smell, cloudy water, metallic or earthy taste or smell, and “rotten egg” smells caused by sulfur.
Contaminants causing these problems are either trapped in the filter or flushed out of the system.
What are the different types of water filters?
Filter pitchers and under-the-sink systems, called “point-of-use units,” are used to specifically treat water for drinking and cooking. Other filtration systems, called “point-of-entry units,” treat all water before it’s distributed throughout the house. Some consumers prefer point-of-entry units because contaminants like radon and organic chemicals can pose a risk when inhaled (as in steam from a shower or dishwasher). Point-of-entry units combat this issue by treating all water when it enters the home.
How do water filters work?
The following list explains some of the most common kinds of water filters and how they work:
• Carbon filters absorb and trap many kinds of water impurities like copper, mercury and pesticides. Their most notable use and benefit is to remove the taste and smell of chlorine from water.
• Distillers remove contaminants, including arsenic, fluoride and copper, by boiling the water and recondensing the purified steam into drinking water. Distilling water is laboriously slow and inefficient—distillers take two to five hours to produce one gallon of water and require electricity during the entire operation.
• Reverse osmosis forces water through a semipermeable membrane that prevents most
contaminants from passing through. Kinetico reverse osmosis systems with multi-step filtration eliminate nearly all disease-causing organisms, salt and most chemical contaminants and are often used in combination with a carbon filter. Water produced from reverse osmosis very nearly reaches the purity of distilled water, but in a much shorter amount of time and without using any electricity—while producing better-tasting water.
How do you know which water filter is best?
Water filters come in all shapes and sizes and determining what’s best in a particular home depends on the quality of tap water and level of concern. For example, while a regular carbon filter will eliminate many potential contaminants, it must be changed regularly and it will not filter out perchlorate, a rocket fuel ingredient sometimes found in water supplies. Consumers can determine the quality of their tap water by contacting a dealer for a free individual water analysis, or by requesting copies of their annual water quality report from their local water utility
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Air purifier reviews
Please Note: EPA neither certifies nor recommends particular brands of home air cleaning devices. While some home air cleaning devices may be useful in some circumstances, EPA makes no broad endorsement of their use, nor specific endorsement of any brand or model. This document describes performance
characteristics associated with several types of air cleaners sold to consumers for home use. It does not discuss the effectiveness of air cleaners installed in the HVAC systems of large buildings, such as apartments, offices, schools, or public buildings.
Under Federal pesticide law, manufacturers of ozone generators must list an EPA establishment
number on the packaging. This number merely identifies the facility that manufactured the
product. Display of this number implies neither EPA endorsement nor that EPA has found the
product to be safe or effective.
Some portable air cleaners sold in the consumer market are ENERGY STAR® qualified. Please note
the following disclaimer on their packaging: “This product earned the ENERGY STAR by meeting
strict energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA. EPA does not endorse any manufacturer claims of
healthier indoor air from the use of this product.
Understanding the Types of Air Cleaning Devices
Before deciding whether to use an air cleaning device, several questions should be considered:
- What types of pollutants can an air cleaner remove?
- How is the performance of an air cleaner measured?
- Will air cleaning reduce adverse health effects?
- What other factors should I consider?
These questions will be addressed in the next few pages.
How is the Performance of an Air Cleaner Measured?
There are different ways to measure how well air cleaning devices work, which depend on the type of device and the basic configuration. Air cleaning devices are configured either in the ductwork of HVAC systems (i.e., in-duct) or as portable air cleaners.
In-duct Particle Removal
Most mechanical air filters are good at capturing larger airborne particles, such as dust, pollen, dust mite and cockroach allergens, some molds, and animal dander. However, because these particles settle rather quickly, air filters are not very good at removing them completely from indoor areas. Although human activities such as walking and vacuuming can stir up particles, most of the larger particles will resettle before an air filter can remove them.
Consumers can select a particle removal air filter by looking at its efficiency in removing airborne particles from the air stream that passes through it. This efficiency is measured by the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) for air filters installed in the ductwork of HVAC systems. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed this measurement method. MERV ratings (ranging from a low of 1 to a high of 20) also allow comparison of air filters made by different companies.
X Flat or panel air filters with a MERV of 1 to 4 are commonly used in residential furnaces and air conditioners.
For the most part, such filters are used to protect the HVAC equipment from the buildup of unwanted materials on the surfaces such as fan motors and heating or cooling coils, and not for direct indoor air quality reasons. They have low efficiency on smaller airborne particles and medium efficiency on larger particles, as long as they remain airborne and pass through the filter. Some smaller particles found within a house include viruses, bacteria, some mold spores, a significant fraction of cat and dog allergens, and a small portion of dust mite allergens.
Higher efficiency filters with a MERV of 14 to 16, sometimes misidentified as HEPA filters, are similar in
appearance to true HEPA filters, which have MERV values of 17 to 20. True HEPA filters are normally not installed in residential HVAC systems; installation of a HEPA filter in an existing HVAC system would
probably require professional modification of the system. A typical residential air handling unit and
the associated ductwork would not be able to accommodate such filters because of their physical
dimensions and increase in airflow resistance.
Some residential HVAC systems may not have enough fan or motor capacity to accommodate
higher efficiency filters. Therefore, the HVAC manufacturer’s information should be checked
prior to upgrading filters to determine whether it is feasible to use more efficient filters. Specially
built high performance homes may occasionally be equipped with true HEPA filters installed in a
properly designed HVAC system.
There is no standard measurement for the effectiveness of electronic air cleaners. While they may
remove small particles, they may be ineffective in removing large particles. Electronic air cleaners can
produce ozone—a lung irritant. The amount of ozone produced varies among models. Electronic air
cleaners may also produce ultrafine particles resulting from reaction of ozone with indoor chemicals
such as those coming from household cleaning products, air fresheners, certain paints, wood flooring, or
carpets. Ultrafine particles may be linked with adverse health effects in some sensitive populations
Conclusion
Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks. The best way to address this risk is to control or eliminate the sources of pollutants, and to ventilate a home with clean outdoor air. The ventilation method may, however, be limited by weather conditions or undesirable levels of contaminants in outdoor air. If these measures are insufficient, an air cleaning device may be useful. While air cleaning devices may help to control the levels of airborne allergens, particles, or, in some cases, gaseous pollutants in a home, they may not decrease adverse health effects from indoor air pollutants
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PERSIONAL SOUND AMPLIFIERS
Consumers today have many questions about hearing loss and hearing aids. How do you know if you need a hearing aid
PERSIONAL SOUND AMPLIFIERS
Consumers today have many questions about hearing loss and hearing aids. How do you know if you need a hearing aid? Where should you go for testing? What testing will be done? What are your options among hearing products? What level of technology is best for you? How much is it going to cost? How long will the whole process take? How will you adjust to hearing with a hearing aid?
AARP® Official Site - Join & Explore the Benefits
prepared this booklet to help answer those questions. It describes how to tell if you should have your hearing tested; where you can get your hearing tested; and what to expect during the testing. We give you questions to ask in selecting a hearing care professional. Hearing aid manufacturers have introduced many technological changes, so we explain the new technology and talk about costs.
Many people with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids, but don’t have them. Some are hesitant because they don’t know where and how to start the whole testing process. Others may not be sure about picking a professional and selecting the right aid from among the many options. Cost is a big barrier for many. Some people are concerned about “looking old” with a hearing aid.
If you are just beginning to have concerns about whether your hearing is declining; or if you’ve tried a hearing aid in the past and weren’t happy with it; or if you know someone who really should get his or her hearing checked, this booklet will answer many of your questions.
How big is the problem of hearing loss?
About 31.5 million Americans—one in 10—experience impaired hearing. Hearing loss affects all ages, but specifically, there are more baby boomers aged 45-64 with hearing loss (10 million) than there are people over the age of 65 with hearing loss (9 million).
As baby boomers reach mid-age, a time when hearing loss frequently becomes more noticeable, they face concerns about what to do about their hearing loss. Boomers may have more hearing problems at an earlier age than previous generations. Their noisy life style, with prolonged exposure to rock concerts, loud stereos, city traffic, power tools, and lawn mowers, may take its toll on their
ears. Hearing care professionals confirm that they are seeing more younger clients seeking help with hearing loss. The National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders reports that 20 million Americans are exposed to dangerously noisy environments. Of the 31.5 million Americans with hearing loss, 10 million of these impairments are partially attributable to damage from exposure to loud sounds.
Most hearing loss can be helped—but not cured—by hearing aids. Yet most people with hearing loss don’t take advantage of this help.
Almost everyone with a hearing loss hears better with a hearing aid, yet only 23 percent of those who need a hearing aid have one.
More than 6 million Americans do use hearing aids, but about 24 million with hearing loss do not.
Types of Hearing Aids
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids
Hearing aids come in many types and sizes, with a wide variety of features. Just which is best for you depends on your individual hearing loss and your personal needs. Your audiogram along with your budget and dexterity must all be coordinated to find the right aid for you.
What are the choices among hearing aids?
A modern hearing aid is an electronic device that picks up sound waves with a tiny microphone, changes weaker sounds into louder sounds and modifies the sound signals in other ways, and conveys them to the ear through a tiny speaker. A small battery powers all this. Beyond the basics of microphone,amplifier, and speaker is a technological array among hearing aids, whichrange from larger units that fit behind the ear to tiny ones that are almost invisible. You can tell an aid’s style by three initials that indicate where they are worn.
BTEs—behind the ear—are about one inch long and fit snugly behind your outer ear. A small tube connects with the amplification device behind your ear and delivers amplified sound into your ear canal. It has an adjustable volume control. The battery fits into a compartment at the bottom of the aid. Its larger size allows for more power and features, such as telecoils. BTEs are suitable for the entire range of hearing loss.
OTEs—on the ear—are a new style of BTE that is extremely small and sits on top of the outer ear. The tube going into the ear canal can be very narrow and, in some OTEs, may have a speaker located in the ear canal itself.
ITEs—in the ear—are custom-fitted to your outer ear’s contours. Both the volume control and the battery are smaller than the ones used in a BTE. The smaller size may not amplify sufficiently for those with very severe loss. For some users, this small size can be difficult to insert or remove, change batteries, or adjust the volume. Most ITE aids have special features, such as telecoils, to make talking on the telephone easier.
ITEs are appropriate for those with mild to moderate loss.
ITCs—in the canal—are smaller. They fit farther into the ear canal so they are barely visible. They are cosmetically appealing but are harder to manipulate and may not be powerful enough for someone with severe loss. They are customized to fit the size and shape of your ear canal.
CICs—completely in the canal—are the smallest ITEs. Cosmetically, they may be the most flattering, but their tiny size can be a real disadvantage in handling. Because they are closest to your eardrum, they need less power and take a smaller battery. They are the most expensive ITEs because of their miniaturized circuitry, and they often need more frequent maintenance and cleaning than larger aids because of their placement in the canal.
How are the newer hearing aids different?
In the past decade, hearing aids have changed considerably. The new technology means:
• Newer aids are much more cosmetically appealing.
• Current aids can provide a cleaner, higher quality sound than those of a few years ago because of changes in how the sound is processed, as over 90% of hearing aids today have digital,rather than older analog technology.
• They can provide more listening comfort due to better automatic
control of volume and frequency response.
• The dispenser can readily adjust newer models in the office, rather than having to send them back to the factory for adjustments.
How much do they cost?
Manufacturers don’t set retail prices (hearing care professionals do) so you may find the same hearing aid costs $300 less just across town.
However, it’s important to know how hearing aids are priced so you will know what to compare and what you will get for your money
Quality service and product selection may be even more important than bottom-line price. An office with a broad range of products from more than one manufacturer has more options in recommending the most appropriate aid for your needs.
You need to compare prices and services among hearing care professionals. Find out exactly what’s included in a quoted price.
Hearing care professionals generally quote one price for the whole package of services.
Ask them to break out the separate charges for testing and evaluation, fitting, and followup care, as well as the aid. Keep in mind that you won’t know the full cost of a particular aid until you have had your hearing tested.
To make a fair cost comparison, you will need to know the full specifications of the recommended hearing aid model.
If you are going to get a second opinion, insist on getting a copy of your audiogram.
You should be able to get a second opinion based on the initial audiogram. If the second dispenser wants to retest you, you shouldn’t have to pay for testing more than once
What should you know about batteries?
All hearing aids require batteries. Replacing batteries is one of the ongoing costs of wearing hearing aids. Be sure you learn from your dispenser which type of batteries to use, how to insert them properly, and how to test them.
How long a battery will last depends on the battery type, your aid’s power requirements, and how long you use it each day. Batteries may last from several days to several weeks.
Batteries come in different sizes depending on the size and power needs of your hearing aid. Hearing aids typically use one of five different sizes—675, 312, 13, 10, and 5. Compare prices on batteries and consider buying them in bulk, on sale, or from battery clubs to save money.
You can conserve the battery’s life by turning off the hearing aid when you are not using it. Find out if you should open the battery door or remove the battery at night. You can extend the life of your spare batteries if you store them in a cool, dry place, but don’t put them in the refrigerator because the moisture reduces battery life. And don’t carry them around loose in your pocket or purse; keys or coins could short out your battery. Keep them in the original packaging until you need to use one. If they rattle around together, they can short each other out.
If you accidentally swallow a battery or get a battery burn, contact your doctor or call the National Button Battery Hotline at 202-625-3333.
Be sure to pull the paper tab off the battery just before inserting it. The paper tab lengthens the battery’s life from the time it is manufactured to your use. When you remove the paper tab, put the tab on your calendar to remind you when you last changed your batteries.
Where can you get additional information?
Britzgo Hearing Amplifier Review
The first few weeks with hearing aids
Hearing Aid Batteries – You should know
Otofonix Encore Hearing Amplifier Review
Siemens Lotus 23P Hearing Amplifier review
Neosonic Hearing Amplifier Review
BANGLIJIAN HEARING AMPLIFIER REVIEW
Pressure Washing
Wash water from pressure washing should be treated with care as it could contain any of the following harmful pollutants. Keep It Clean There are many ways to keep polluted wash water out of the storm drain and ultimately our creeks.
What’s in Your Wash Water?
Wash water from pressure washing should be treated with care as it could contain any of the following harmful pollutants.
Keep It Clean
There are many ways to keep polluted wash water out of the storm drain and ultimately our creeks.
Detergents—“biodegradable” does not mean nontoxic. All soaps in creeks can be
toxic to aquatic life.
Phosphates—are an ingredient of many detergents and act as a nutrient to algae. Excessive algae growth robs the water of oxygen and nutrients that aquatic life needs to survive.
Debris—such as dirt and leaves can clog the storm drains.
Paint chips—can not only clog storm drains but may contain lead in older homes.
Vehicle Fluids—leakage from cars can make driveways dirty but oil, antifreeze and other fluids are toxic and should not be washed down the storm drains
There are many ways to keep polluted wash water out of the storm drain and ultimately our creeks
Walk around the area where you will be washing to identify all storm drain inlets before washing.
If possible, find a location where wash water will not flow to storm drains.
Wash cars and other objects in a grassy or gravel area as much as possible so that water can be absorbed into the ground, except after rain.
Use absorbent materials, such as kitty litter, to soak up spills instead of washing with water.
Sweep up debris and absorbent materials before and after power washing to avoid build up in the drain Block storm drain inlets with berms and tarps then collect the water for proper disposal.
Place a tarp or cloth below painted surfaces to catch any paint chips that fall.
Know if your home contains lead-based paint before power washing the exterior. Homes built as late as 1978 may contain lead-based paint.
If collected wash water or debris contains any car fluids or lead-based paint, it must be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility, free of charge. Information about drop off is available at www.wpwma.com
Other wash water should be poured down an interior building drain so that it can be treated before entering the creeks.
A wet-dry vacuum is an easy way to transport collected wash water and debris to interior drains, vegetated areas or containers for removal.
Using nozzles on hoses can increase washing performance as well as minimize water usage, which will decrease the amount of wash water to collect while keeping your water bill low.
Keep Yourself Safe
Pressure washers, like any piece of machinery, can cause serious injury to the user and bystanders if used improperly.
Always read the instruction manual before operating a power washer.
Never use a gas powered pressure washer in an enclosed space since this
could cause carbon monoxide poisoning The high pressure spray can cause
serious wounds that may appear minor. The strong spray can also throw objects
that strike and injure people nearby. Wear eye protection, boots, gloves and
long clothing to reduce injuries to yourself.
Keep water flow away from power lines and outdoor electrical outlets.
Only use approved cleaning agents for your power washer and the surface you
are cleaning.
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