Indoor Air Pollution

Air pollution is often associated with vehicles, power plants and people speaking when they shouldn't.  The effects of air pollution on us common, everyday, people is respiration or irritation.  (Why won't they just SHUT UP!!!)

But, you may ask, what about fuzzy, wuzzy kittens and warm, cozy fireplaces?

Contributing factors to air pollution indoors

• Dander and hair from pets 
• Dryness in the air and  dust from fireplaces

How can you fix the problem?
Correct filtration and added humidification during the winter and added de-humidification in the summer.

www.airclaws.com for more information

What's The Word?

What do these pictures have in common?

Humidifier? Don't mind if I do!!

Do you ever feel as though you are putting up with living life a certain way because you don't know that there are actually solutions that can make the quality of your life better?  When I was growing up in rural southeastern Ohio, my family heated our house with firewood. (I'm from a family of seven so guess who my dad roped into cutting and stacking firewood every summer?)  During the cold winter months, we burned that firewood along with coal to keep our house warm.  My mom would always have a large pot of water on top of our wood stove to add moisture to the house.  At the time, I had no idea the importance of humidity to a person's quality of life.  But my mom was doing the best that she was able to do to improve the chances that we would not get sick because of having dry noses.  How do dry noses make you sick, you may ask?
I found some information on Ohio State University's medical center website explaining why there are more colds during colder months. And "spoiler alert" it's not because of being cold.  http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/lung_diseases/cold/pages/index.aspx
"People are most likely to have colds during fall and winter, starting in late August or early September until March or April. The increased incidence of colds during the cold season may be attributed to the fact that more people are indoors and close to each other. In addition, many cold viruses thrive in low humidity, making the nasal passages drier and more vulnerable to infection."

If we can't change the fact that we have to be inside more often, we should be able to change our indoor environment to one that is more humid.

Today there are much better options for whole house humidification than just putting a pot of water on the wood stove or little bowls of water around the house.  It is common to see advertisements for one room humidifiers.  You might see a person lounging in her easy chair with a machine next to her pumping out hot, steamy water.  She is relaxed, comfortable and breathing easily.  What happens though when she gets up to go to bed?  Does she carry the machine with her?  Does she spill water when she is trying to fill the humidifier?

The other humidifier options are a By-Pass or Steam. Both connect to your existing ducted heating and cooling system.
Here are some pros and cons to these humidifiers.


TYPE                         PROS                             CONS                

Room style                 Portable                                  Must refill 

                                  Least expensive                      Small tanks 

                                  No installation                        Messy 

                                                                                 Only humidify a small area 

                                                                                  Noisy

By Pass                       No tank to fill                         Uses cold water

                                  Does entire house                    It must heat water to humidify

                                  Cheaper than multiple              Uses humidifier media that must
                                         room units                             be changed

                                  Cheapest way to do                  Not good with hard water.
                                               entire house

                                                                                      

Steam                       Best humidification available     More initial expense up front
                                 Uses less energy
                                 Uses pre heated water
                                 Runs more efficiently
                                Does not need heat system to be on to work
                                Most flexible to install
                                No tank to fill.

***Natalie and Shelly

Facebook Fan Pages

http://www.facebook.com/AmesvilleFiremansFestival

The first new fanpage is up and waiting for updates of pictures and stories. If you have something to contribute, please email natalie@airclaws.com.

A facebook fanpage for the Coonskin 5k is coming soon!

Do you need a Generator

The following is copied from WATH WXTQ News:

Spencer here - the severe storm threat is CANCELLED for Athens County and Meigs, Jackson, Vinton and points west. Athens county has 1000 customers with no power.






Are you one of the customers without power?  It's a good time to consider installing a whole house generator.  Contact us today to make an appointment.

airclaws@airclaws.com

Best of Athens 2013 - Places

Best small town in Athens Co.

Amesville

It's the Mayberry of the Midwest. It's got pissaz. It's got style. It's got a Norman Rockwell-esque sense of down-home, down-right apple pie goodness. It's Amesville, and it's this year's winner for best small town in Athens County. Seriously, though, Amesville is a quintessential Athens County small town, with a funky mix of Appalachian and back-to-the-land character. Whatever on God's green earth that's supposed to mean.
Pulling up in second for best small town in Athens County is Albany, home to some good dining, a big rural all-grades school, an airport, and just a stone's throw from Lake Snowden. They could use a corner bar or two, however.
Coming in third is Coolville, in the far southeast corner of the county. Even if Coolville didn't have a lot going for it, this town would deserve a high grade just based on its grade.

Energy Department Press Releae January 28, 2013

Energy Department Announces New Funding to Develop Advanced Biomass Supply Chain Technologies

January 28, 2013

As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department today announced about $6 million for projects that will develop and demonstrate supply chain technologies to affordably deliver commercial-scale lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks to biorefineries across the country. This funding will help accelerate the development of integrated, cost-effective supply chain systems that reduce time and costs to produce affordable, clean transportation energy options for our cars, trucks, and airplanes.
The Energy Department's recently-updated Billion Ton Study shows that sustainable biofuels could displace approximately one-third of America's current transportation petroleum use. Successfully expanding biofuels production in the United States will require leveraging existing infrastructure as well as designing and deploying new, cost-effective supply chain technologies that integrate harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transportation, and storage. This funding opportunity will focus on developing new logistics strategies and technologies that address key challenges in large-scale biomass feedstock transportation, such as format and quality variability, storage stability, bulk and energy density, handling characteristics, and variable conversion performance.
The Energy Department will make available about $6 million this year for one to two multi-year projects. All selected projects will require a cost share contribution by the grant recipient, including 20% for research and development activities and 50% for demonstration activities. Read the full funding opportunity announcement.
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Learn more about EERE's work with industry, academia, and national laboratory partners on a balanced portfolio of research in biomass feedstocks and conversion technologies.