Mold thrives in moist environments like subterranean basements. The threshold for mold growth is around 50%-65% humidity, so if you think you might have mold in your basement, you'll want to get a in order to measure humidity. We tried an analog hygrometer first, but it was clunky and inaccurate. We've since found a simple, inexpensive that works much better: If you have humidity above 50%, you should get a mold test. An environmental contractor can do this for you, or you can order a You just mail the cassette into the lab after leaving it exposed to the air, and they tell you what kinds of molds you have. If the mold test comes back negative, but you've got odor or allergy problems, skip ahead to the allergen-control section. To kill mold, you need to get the humidity below 50%, and around 35% is optimal. If it's a mold problem in your basement, having a contractor install vapor barriers around the outside of the foundation

of the house is probably the best long-term option. (For an average size home, this can cost up to thousands.) If a vapor barrier isn't an option (due to cost or because the basement isn't a problem), then you can kill the mold by running a A professional can install an expensive, high-throughput dehumidifier that can cover an entire house.What Type Of Wood Flooring Is Best For Maple Cabinets We opted to try out aBest Way To Fix Hot Tub Leak cheap Soleus portable, and it worked continuously for five years before breaking.Hotels In New Jersey With Hot Tub In Room It kept our entire basement around 40%-45% humidity, effectively killing the mold at an amortized cost of about $35/year.

When it broke, we put in a This keeps our entire basement at 35% year-round, and below 35% if we run it in "continuous mode." If none of the above are an option, then you can: My wife and I had tried air purifiers like ionic breezes and filtered fans, but we only had marginal improvements in our allergy problems, and these devices were too maintenance-intensive. We still woke up each morning with stuffy noses, head congestion, sore throats and dry eyes. Our infant son was also having recurring stye eye infections, and each morning, his nose was clogged shut with dried mucus. On a recommendation, we tried a high-end Rabbit Air BioGS filter: Our model has three filters: one pre-filter cleaned by a vacuum once a month, one HEPA filter replaced every three years and one filter washed about every three months in a sink. The difference for us was immediate. We woke up with clear noses, clear heads and rested eyes the next day.

We were so impressed that we bought two more: one for our son's room, and one for the basement. Our son's eye and nose problems disappeared the morning after we started running it in his room. (It's quiet enough that the baby can sleep with it on.) We also got a good idea of which rooms in the house were the most polluted. The clean-filter indicator came on for the Rabbit in our bedroom after just two weeks (instead of 3 months), and when I pulled off the cover, there was about a finger's-width of accumulated dust and pet hair on the pre-filter, and thick coat on the HEPA filter underneath. After that initial cleaning, it's since needed cleaning only every couple months as recommended by the manufacturer. We recommend this device to anyone with allergy problems. To make matters worse, my wife and I love dogs. So, for years, we've been trying high-end vacuum technology trying to keep up with their shedding.

On this front, two technologies have stood the test of time: the The Roomba works best if the dogs are confined to a single level of the house, or in a condo/apartment. We just set the Roomba to vacuum before leaving the house each day, and then empty its container when we get back. It excels at keeping rooms free of dust and pet hair, and it becomes rather intelligent about floor layout after its fourth or fifth journey. We have a mid-level Roomba, and my parents have a high-end Roomba, but as far as I can tell, the only real difference between them is price. And, apparently, we're not the only ones to have discovered that the Roomba is the mortal enemy of the Chihuahua, which leads to endless amusement during cleanings: We'd tried Orecks and Hoovers to get at the pet dander stuck in our carpets, but they're worthless compared to the Dyson Animal: This thing feels like it could rip the carpet off the floor. For clearing up pet-related allergies, it's in a league of its own.

Air purifiers and dehumidifiers minimize allergens in the room, making it easier for those suffering from allergies and asthma. An air purifier circulates air through a filter that traps air-borne pollutants and irritants like dust, smoke and pollen. A dehumidifier sucks in moisture and reduces the humidity levels in the air, killing mold and microbes that thrive in moisture. Air Purifier versus Dehumidifier comparison chart Air PurifierDehumidifier 2.74/512345 3.15/512345 Purpose To circulate and filter the air by trapping dust, smoke and other allergens To reduce the moisture content in the surrounding area. Humidity levels Can vary Used where humidity is greater than 50% Types Filter, Ionizing, Ozone generators, Adsorbents, UV light Mechanical /refrigerative, Air conditioners, Adsorption/desiccant, Electronic, Ionic membrane, Makeshift Application Beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics as they reduce or eliminate dust, second-hand tobacco smoke and other air-borne allergens.

Recommended to alleviate allergy by eliminating mold, dust mites and mildew from the air. Contents: Air Purifier vs Dehumidifier An air purifier circulates air through a filter which removes air borne pollutants, like dust or smoke particles, and even pollen, which a dehumidifier cannot. An purifier may prevent mold build-up as it removes the spores from the air. However, because it cannot control humidity levels in a house, excessive moisture can cause mold to return. The video below deconstructs a humidifier to demonstrate how it works: A dehumidifier's primary function is to eliminate excessive moisture from the air and bring down a room's humidity levels. While this device does not clear or filter air, it does help remove allergens, like mold and dust mites, which thrive in a moist or humid environment. With a humidity level less than 50%, these sources of allergies and asthma wither and die. This is how a dehumidifier works: Two types of dehumidifiers are typically found in the marketplace: warm mist and cool mist.

Regardless of mist type selected, both affect moisture level in the air and lower the level of humidity. Mechanical /refrigerative is the most common type and works by drawing moist air over a refrigerated coil with a small fan. Condensed air is collected, and is effective at higher ambient temperatures where the relative humidity is over 45%. Air conditioners inherently act as dehumidifiers. Adsorption/desiccant is special humidity-absorbing material, moving along a belt, which is exposed to the lower-temperature air being conditioned. Air is reused after being heated to remove humidity, typically at levels of 35% or lower. Electronic dehumidifier uses a Peltier heat pump to generate a cool surface for condensing the water vapor from the air. It has no moving parts and hence is quieter. But it has low energy efficiency and this design is used for smaller humidifiers. Ionic membrane - a specialized type of ionic membrane can be used as an ionic pump to move humidity in or out of sealed enclosures at the molecular level.

The device is mainly used in industrial areas with fuel cell, chemical, or water improvement application. Makeshift - Window air conditioner units that operate similar to mechanical/refrigerative dehumidifiers. Makeshift dehumidifiers function by sending its heat exhaust back into the room. The types of air purifiers include: Filter air purifiers, which use a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter or an ULPA (Ultra-Low Penetration Air) filter to circulate air and trap dust particles. Ionizing purifiers use corona discharge, a small but powerful electrical field which creates and uses oppositely charged particles to collect together and settle out of the air. Ozone generators which work like ionizing purifiers by changing the oxygen molecules in the air into ozone. Adsorbents use an adsorbent material to take care of odors, fumes and chemicals in the air. UV Light which renders some micro-organisms sterile through ultraviolet radiation. Health hazards of Air Purifiers

Ozone production is typical for air ionizing purifiers. Ionic air purifiers can produce ozone as an additional feature to eliminate odor. Although high concentration of ozone is dangerous, most air ionizers produce low amounts (<0.05> ppm). Many air purifiers generate some ozone, and in the presence of humidity, small amounts of nitrogen oxide. The noise level of a purifier can be obtained through a customer service department Maintaining dehumidifiers requires cleaning all its coils and buckets periodically, and also checking these coils for frost, to improve efficiency. Air purifiers can be maintained by replacing the filter every 6 months. If the humidifier has plates, they should be washed once a week. To clean the plates, take them out of system and place them in the dishwasher or submerge them in the sink. How and Where to Buy After you've decided which appliance is right for you, the next step is what to look for. Watch this guide to buying air purifiers before you make your decision: