| How
Do Air Cleaners & Humidifiers Work? If you thought air pollution was just an outdoor concern, think again. The particles you see in a beam of afternoon sunlight streaming through the window only represent about 1% of the millions of airborne contaminants in your indoor air. Most standard fiber glass-mesh furnace filters only trap about 15% of these particles, leaving the other 85% to pollute your air, your furnishings, even your lungs. Clearing the Air A Carrier MECHANICAL AIR CLEANER has a heavy-duty media filter that can trap up to 28 times as many particles as a standard fiber glass filter, including animal dander and plant spores. |
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| A Carrier ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANER can
capture up to 95% of all airborne particles — smoke, grease, bacteria and even many
viruses. An electronic model works as a sort of magnet for undesirable pollutants. An
aluminum mesh filter catches most of the large particles. The smaller particles pass
through an ionizing section, where they receive an electrical charge so they are attracted
like magnets to grounded metal plates. The collected particles are cleaned off the plates
every few months with a garden hose or by popping the filter in the dishwasher. While the
process may sound complicated, electronic air cleaners only use about as much electricity
as a 30-watt light bulb. Air cleaners can improve your health, keep your entire home cleaner, protect your valuable investments and save you the time and aggravation of constant dusting. Just Add Water Controlling humidity can not only affect how comfortable you feel, it can actually save you money on your monthly energy bills. Our bodies "feel" heat as a combination of temperature and humidity. In other words, the more humid the air, the warmer it feels. So if you add humidity to dry, heated air in the winter with a Carrier humidifier, you can set your thermostat lower and still be comfortable — while you save money on your utility bills. |
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| A HUMIDIFIER can also help prevent dry,
cracked skin, make it easier to breathe, protect your woodwork and reduce static
electricity. It can even make you less susceptible to sore throats and winter colds. Carrier humidifiers operate on the basis of a simple concept. Air heated by your furnace or heat pump passes through a ceramic-coated pad in your humidifier, called an evaporator pad. The air absorbs moisture from the water-soaked pad and becomes water vapor that humidifies the heated air that is circulated throughout your home. Most humidifiers feature an adjustable humidistat so you can control the exact amount of moisture in the air. The proper amount of moisture depends on the outdoor temperature and other factors; your owner’s manual has recommendations for the best settings for your conditions. |
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