Truth About Bottled Water

Product Review Guardian Angel:

Do you wake up each morning with a stuffy nose? Or perhaps you've noticed that your office seems to collect dust along with paperwork? Indoor environments are often more polluted than outdoor ones, and the Environmental Protection Agency has stated that the air indoors can be five times more polluted than the air outdoors. With so many people suffering from allergies and asthma today, the Guardian Angel is a simple solution to living better in your home.

This is the patented 5 stage filtration process

• 1: Washable Prefilter - Prolongs the life of the HEPA filter by removing large particulates. 

  2: Sealed HEPA Filter HEPA - Is 99.97% efficient at removing particles as small as 0.3 microns in size from the air.

  3: Carbon Layer - Removes household chemicals that may off-gas from household cleaners, paints, solvents, carpets, furniture and other materials containing chemical substances.

  4: UV LED Light plus TiO2 Coating - A photocatalytic oxidation reaction occurs when the UV light strikes the titanium dioxide (TiO2) coating on the inside of the filter cartridge to remove harmful contaminants in the environment.

  5: Negative Ionization - Negative ionization occurs which charges particles so they will cluster together, making them easier to remove from the air.

Who is this product for?

If you have a small living space, or want to concentrate on a small area such as a office or bedroom the Guardian Angel is an ideal solution. If you suffer from asthma or allergies get some relief today and introduce the Guardian Angel into your home.

If you are interested, remeber the healthy home experts at www.montrealaerus.com are able to offer you a free air quality test to offer you custom built air filtration solutions for your home.

We would love to hear what you think of the Guardian Angel, please leave a comment.

Product Overview: Condolux by Aerus Electrolux.

As condos are becoming a more prevalent living space of the 21^st century city, I am continuously asked by a new generation of customers if they should invest in a CentralVac (for home) or reap the savings and invest in a Condolux (Central vacuum for a condo). Often times these customers have had a central vacuum in their parents’ home, or in the case of the traditional downsize, in their own home. I always like to weigh the pros and cons of the 2 vacuum cleaners.  

First off there is always a loyalty when it comes to a well made system such as the CentralLux System 1590 by Aerus Electrolux. When a customer has had the central vacuum in their home for over 20 + years without any problem it can be difficult to convince them to go with a system that looks much smaller in comparison. Sure the Condolux is made of plastic, but as I tell all my customers it is rarely the unit of a central vacuum that breaks but rather the equipment. With a 494 air watt motor built for up to 3,000 square feet the Condolux surpasses the competition in terms of power, and is extremely quiet with a built in muffler. Not only that but is smaller stature makes it easier to store in a condo where space is at a premium.

As for the attachments, this will have nothing to do with the actual power unit. Customers with lots of carpets can choose to go with an electric power kit. If you have no carpets or very few, I can recommend you a standard hose with an air driven carpet nozzle. Whichever way you choose to go in terms of attachments and accessories this will have nothing to do with the actual power unit.

Can the Condolux Perform in a Townhouse?

The simple answer is yes. In the case of a townhouse where you may have multiple levels and 2-3 outlets the Condolux is a fantastic vacuum cleaner. With the ability to clean up to 2500-3000 square feet the Condolux will use its 494 air watt motor to whisk all the dust into the bin. Don’t forget about installing a Vacpan or Wally attachment kit for quick clean ups.

Anyway you look at it the Condolux is a great choice for a smaller to medium sized living space. If you are interested in a free estimation for a custom vacuum cleaner solution in your home or condo let us know and we will be happy to assist.  

New study suggests strong link between air pollution and asthma.

According to data released by the Epidemiology And Allergic and Respiratory Diseases (EPAR) Department from Sorbonne University and the Institut National de le Santé et de la Recherche-Médicale (INSERM), indicate that air pollution may cause new cases of asthma.

This does not surprise me, but what does surprise me are the numbers. Where 1 in 7 children living close to heavily congested streets could develop asthma or 1 in 4 children who live in an area with heavy pollution can develop asthma. As someone who has had breathing difficulties (light asthma and heavy allergies) these numbers seem quite high. I guess I can be thankful for growing up in Suburbia and not exposing myself to “heavy pollution”. I do feel however, that as we are becoming more and more aware of the health effects of air pollution emissions by industrial sectors in the West it has significantly decreased in heavily populated areas. I also wonder, how in the world am I supposed to not breathe in the “dirty” air that’s outside? I suppose, all I can do is wait for better regulations from the government on emissions from cars and industries?

But what about in my home or office?

What’s really concerning is that we are spending 90% of our time indoors where the pollution is often times worse than outdoors. Issues such as unvented gas or kerosene heaters, tobacco use, solvents, painting adhesives and other similar materials can all cause people to suffer greatly (runny nose, watery eyes, dry throat to name a few conditions).  So what can we do if the air inside our homes is polluted? For this problem there certainly is a solution, may I start by suggesting a free air quality test.

Once an air quality test is completed and you are made aware of the air inside your home and whether or not you have a problem there are many solutions. Perhaps you can vacuum more often, invest in some air purification equipment, or even open your windows or doors more often for longer periods of time.  Whatever you decide, at least you can say you are taking action to fight indoor air pollution and keep allergens and irritants in your home at a minimum.

5 Reasons to invest a central vacuum.

So you’re moving into a new home or condo and have all of the tubing set up for a central vacuum system and are wondering if it’s worth the investment? Here are my top 5 reasons you should make the investment and get rid of the cumbersome upright vacuum or old canister you currently are using.

5 – Allergy Friendly: A central vacuum will greatly help reduce the allergens in the home. Dirt and debris are carried out of the home to the main unit, often located in a garage or closet leaving the particulates unable to reenter your home's air. Compared to an older upright or canister vacuum without a HEPA filter a central vacuum will greatly improve the living conditions of anyone living with allergies and asthma.

4 – Increase the Value of your home: By installing a central vacuum you will be increasing the value of your home as many new home-owners love the convenience associated with already having a central vacuum installed. You can often add a central vacuum to your home for the equivalent price of a leading canister or upright vacuum.

3 – Quiet Operation: By installing a central vacuum in your home the noise level of your cleaning equipment is reduced drastically. Placing the power unit in a garage which consists of concrete will ensure silent operation while you are doing your household cleaning.

2 – Optional Accessories like a Vacpan or Wally:  These two tools make cleaning a breeze. With the Vacpan you can simply sweep the dirt, crumbs or hair in the kitchen or bathroom right into a Vacpan outlet. With the Wally you can pull the hose out of the wall and give the area a quick cleaning.

1 – Ease of use:  Without a doubt a central vacuum is the easiest way to clean your home. All you need to do is grab the hose plug it into the outlet and you’re ready to clean.

If you’re doing renovations, building a new home or want to add a central vacuum to a finished home call the experts at montrealaerus.com. With over 30 years experience in the central vacuum business the seasoned veterans at montrealaerus will be able to undertake any of your central vacuum needs. 

Bottled Water Safety Concerns.

Check out this article posted on the front page of today's Toronto Star 

Here is my recap on the article.

- Wednesday October 2nd: Ontarios Health Minister sends out warning not to drink bottled water from Blue Grass Water Company

- Water is heavily contaminated with bacteria and could cause illness.

- Company is linked to a man who has already had legal troubles in Ontario for unfit business deals.

- The log cabin in which the water is bottled lacks sufficient equipment, such as lack of stainless steel walls and no toilet in the building.

Essentially the article illustrates how little infrastructure there is to deal with bottled water companies, and how the consumer for the most part will be better protected by drinking tap water.

Healthy Home Expert: The UN talks Climate Change: It's Clear Humans Are...

Healthy Home Expert: The UN talks Climate Change: It's Clear Humans Are...: In light of the first UN talk about climate change in recent years, I suggest we all take a look at this article:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/...

The UN talks Climate Change: It's Clear Humans Are Changing the Environment.

In light of the first UN talk about climate change in recent years, I suggest we all take a look at this article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/27/226746611/its-clear-humans-are-changing-worlds-climate-panel-says

As we have suspected more and more scientists are confirming the negative human impact on climate change. With 7 billion people inhabiting the earth controlling emissions is going to become much more difficult. In this article Mr. Memmot mentions how only a decade ago 60% of scientists believed climate change was due to human behavior where as in 2013 that percentage is now over 95%. Let's all make a effort and help with our emissions. May I suggest we stop drinking bottled water as according to the "Food and Water Watch" over 47 million gallons of oil are used in the production of the plastic each year, and only 20% of these bottles are actually recycled.
                    Invest in a healthier more eco-friendly solution

Tap Water in Canada: The top 5 Problems with tap, and why a water filter is the best alternative.

Living in Canada we are lucky enough to have access to some of the world’s best drinking water. Despite this millions of Canadians decide to purchase bottled water instead of drinking water from the tap. Why is this? Perhaps it’s because there can be many trace chemicals, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals contaminating your water.

Here is a top 5 list of why many Canadians turn to bottled water instead of drinking tap.

1: Pharmaceuticals:  According to the World Health Organization “Pharmaceuticals are synthetic or natural chemicals that can be found in prescription medicines, over-the-counter therapeutic drugs and veterinary drugs”. Typical Wastewater treatment facilities have anywhere from a 20-90% capacity to remove pharmaceuticals from our water. With a higher population of people taking more and more prescription drugs we should be worried about trace pharmaceuticals in our drinking water.

For a comprehensive report on pharmaceuticals in drinking water check out this report from the World Health Organization

 2: Pesticides: Of course pesticides can leech into our water reserves. Many Canadians invest in eating organic fruits and vegetables to stay away from pesticides. It’s a big contradiction when traces of pesticides are then found in our water. Smaller communities are most at risk for pesticides in their water as for the most part there are inadequate water treatment facilities in these communities. Take for example British Columbia where there are over 4,000 different water suppliers many with inadequate treatment.

3: Copper/Lead: This will depend on the types of pipes delivering the water into your home. With older areas usually comes copper or lead plumbing. Who wants to be drinking trace amounts of copper or lead when having a glass of water?

4: Chlorine: Certainly it kills pathogens and microbial pollutants in the water but at a cost. Chlorine itself is not so harmful but it is the byproducts (BDPs) which could have a harmful reaction inside our bodies. Dangerous DBPs created from the chlorination of water include (THMs) and (VOCs).These byproducts can form free radicals inside of our bodies.

5: The Taste: Let’s be honest who really likes the taste of tap water. You can smell the chlorine and you could certainly taste it. In my opinion this is one of the main reasons millions of Canadians have turned to bottled water as their water alternative.

BOTTLED WATER: According to Agtriculture Canada in 2009 we produced 2.29 billion litres of bottled water. Don’t be fooled by the bottled water industries extensive marketing campaigns and go out and purchase bottled water which is often times more expensive than the price of gasoline. Instead opt for a water filter and help save the environment.  

WATER FILTERS: There are so many different types available on the market today. My recommendation is to invest in one that has some sort of carbon filtration for (copper & lead) and nano filtratio (UF filtration or Reverse Osmosis 99% and up removal rate of Pharmaceuticals) according to the World Health Organization.

Whatever your needs; investing in a water filter is a smart eco-friendly alternative to drinking bottled water.

What Lies Beneath our Sheets? Secrets to remove dust mites from our home

Lots of people go to bed feeling perfectly fine and wake up either during the middle of the night or in the morning with a stuffy nose, dry throat and even congestion in their chest. What people don’t realize is that what’s most likely causing these problems is what lies beneath their sheets. DUST MITES!!!

According to the University of Nebraska dust mite feces are known to cause “allergies include sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal stuffiness, runny nose, stuffy ears, respiratory problems, eczema and (in severe cases) asthma.”

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REMOVE THESE CRITTERS FROM YOUR HOME

VACUUM: What can be done to help rid your home of these unwanted visitors? According to studies done at the University of Texas vacuuming your mattress and other upholstered furniture will certainly help. Remember to buy a vacuum with HEPA filtration so you are sure the feces will remain in the vacuum cleaner and not come back into your air stream. HEPA filters are known to trap the smallest pollutants and particulants at 99.97% efficiency at .3 microns in size. HEPA filters are used in all types of applications where clean air is needed such as inside hospitals and airplanes.  I can also reccomend central vacuum cleanersas these units will have the dust swept into a cannister located in a garage or furnace room, you can always get a central vacuum with a HEPA filter, or just add a HEPA filter to the muffler.

DUSTING: It’s a good idea to dust your furniture before you vacuum. Using a damp cloth works better and “spraying furniture polish/dusting liquid directly on surface reduces airborne particles by 93 percent compared with dry dusting.” (University of Nebraska)

AIR FILTRATION: Another effective way to remove dust mite feces from your air is to invest in a HEPA filtration system. Don’t get fooled into buying an OZONE generating machine or an IONIZZER as these units will not effectively remove the smaller sized particulants which dust mites and their feces are. Check out what Dr. Siegel of the University of Texas has to say here http://www.utexas.edu/news/2005/09/15/engineering/

Essentially if you want to rid your home of the second leading cause of allergies and asthma (Pollen is first) you would be well advised to invest in a HEPA filter. You can also go a step further and invest in a HEPA filter that uses a UV light and titanium dioxide. This type of unit will create a process call Photocatalytic Oxidation and instead of capturing dust mites in the HEPA filter median will actually kill the mites on impact with the catalyst.

So there you are 3 effective ways to rid your home of the problems associated with dust mites.


If you have any questions or comments please feel free to use the comments section.