Source: Times Property (https://bit.ly/3yIlIA6)

Modern air purification systems eliminate the invisible pollutants in the air around us and help us breathe cleaner, healthier air. Here are a few appliances for your home and office that can go a long way in ensuring the health of your family and employees this season

Scientific evidence reveals that the air within our home and office buildings is more polluted than the air outside. As we spend an estimated 90 per cent of our time indoors, the risks to our health from continual exposure to poor air quality is higher, thus, making us susceptible to respiratory or cardiovascular diseases over time. This season, kit your home and office with certain appliances to keep indoor air pollution at bay.

AIR QUALITY MONITORING DEVICES
Providing accurate information about the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) conditions of buildings is essential to assess the comfort levels of the occupants. Depending on the size of the indoor spaces, air quality monitoring devices can be installed. These user-friendly devices are portable and low-maintenance and can enable continuous monitoring of air quality as they are developed based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The in-built sensor and cloud-based web application can measure several indoor health parameters at a time and report them in real time making them ideal for homes and offices.

AIR PURIFIERS WITH HEPA FILTERS
An air purifier is a welcome addition to your home or workplace especially during monsoon. While an air purifier won’t remove all the impurities in the air, it could help to reduce allergens and other pollutants. Sometimes, new homes can have pollutants in the air from the cabinetry, wall colours and flooring. Smart home air purifiers are the perfect answer to eliminate these micro-organisms through HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters. Available in various sizes, home air purifiers can be installed for individual rooms or for the entire house or office building.

HEATING,VENTILATION,AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEMS
An HVAC system is required in offices and residential complexes. This highly efficient system is responsible for controlling the temperature, humidity, and air quality. It is essential during ex- treme temperatures and weather conditions when you can’t open windows and require crucial air circulation without compromising on comfort.

A typical HVAC unit is designed to draw in outdoor air to supply the building. Along with the air, certain particulate matter can waft indoors to pollute the air. This is where the air filters embedded in the air handling unit come to the rescue to remove this particulate matter and circulate clean air indoors.

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHTS

Ultraviolet (UV) lights are valuable additions to indoor spaces because of the way they are engineered to purify the air by killing mould and bacteria in the environment.
UV lights eliminate the contaminants by emitting a light that can destroy the bacteria’s DNA. In UV air purifiers, the mechanism is designed to use short-wave ultraviolet light (UV-C light) to inactivate airborne pathogens and micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses as well as mould that grows in moist areas.

If the UV light is part of the HVAC system, it funnels clean air into the HVAC system for circulation after destroying the pollutants in the air. However, before you install UV lights in your home or office, take into account the location and size of the HVAC system installed and the number of UV lights you’ll need.

EXHAUST FANS
Cooking is a major contributor to indoor air pollution. Studies, both experimental and simulated, have shown that kitchen exhaust fans can reduce cooking-related air pollutants to a great extent. There are two types of exhaust fans—ducted and ductless. Ducted exhaust fans are designed to remove pollutants and moisture from indoor spaces by sucking them out through the fan and blowing them outdoors. The non-ducted models work by filtering air through charcoal before releasing it back to the living space.

With technology making our lives simpler, we can equip our home and office spaces with these essential appliances to ease our life during the rainy season.

BENEFITS OF INSTALLING AN EXHAUST FAN

• Removes excess moisture which can balance humidity levels indoors, particularly during the rains. This can prevent the growth of mould and mildew that are toxic and can spread through the air causing respiratory infections
• Eliminates smoke and odour from areas like the kitchen and bathroom
• Facilitates ventilation,thereby ensuring air circulation,especially during the monsoon when all the doors and windows are kept shut
• Improves air quality by maintaining air circulation