Ask The Doctor
Laura Asks:
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:25AM
How often should I replace my furnace filter?
- Change your standard furnace filter every 6 to 8 weeks use your own judgment, depending on your usage you may need to change it more often. Never let the filter get clogged this can cause cut down on efficiency and or cause damage to filter. All filters are not created equal. A standard throw away furnace filter will only trap 5 to 10 percent of what passes through them. A high efficiency filter can remove up to 98 percent of air born particles but they are very costly, up to 30 dollars. If your filter shows signs of clogging within those few weeks after replacement it’s a sure sign you need your duct work clean. I recommend having your duct work cleaned thoroughly and then using the least expensive white pleated filter you can find. Normally at a cost of 3 to 5 dollars.
Glenn Asks:
March 7th, 2011 at 3:05PM
I live in a colonial style home, in Sterling Heights that’s 30 years old my bedroom is upstairs and the farthest room from the furnace, it’s always the coldest in the winter and the hottest in the summer, We’ve tried everything any suggestions?
- That’s a very common problem that not only people in two stories live with but also ranch style. It’s actually a very common problem, On your next trip to Home Depot ask one of the men in the orange aprons to guide you to the booster fans this is a small fan that may cost around 5 dollars that is inserted into the supply line in your basement and hard wired to your furnace when your furnace kicks on that fan will too, blasting that extra needed heat/A.C. to that room. You may need to hire a handy man for this project but it is well worth the money.
Michelle Asks:
March 8th, 2011 at 12:14PM
I have black mold on my walls in my basement and in my shower on the ceiling; I know black mold is a health hazard. How am I able to tell if this is the dangerous mold without spending a fortune?
- You do have reason to worry; Black mold is a huge problem and can be very dangerous. Mold remediation companies can be quiet costly so your first step should be to go to Home Depot where they sell indoor air testing petri- dishes for maybe $10 dollars. This is a very simple and dependable approach to test for the bad mold, simply uncover the petri- dish and leave unopened in your home for 24 hours, then send to the independent lab described in the instructions. The test will cost you $30 dollars but you will have an unbiased result. If you do need to hire a mold remediation company, make sure to get 3 quotes from LICENSED experienced contractors and check them out on the better business bureau, Good luck!
Joanne Asks:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:35PM
How can I tell if there’s an “IAQ” problem in my work place, It’s a small office with only 5 girls and we all seem to be sick all the time?
- People working in buildings with poor “IAQ” may notice unpleasant and musty odors or may feel there symptoms that happen at work go away when they leave. Like having headaches, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, or feeling tired. If this is the case it is a sure fire way to know the duct work needs to be cleaned. It may be time to ask your boss if that can be done.
Cason Asks:
April 7th, 2011 at 10:05AM
My five year old daughter suffers with asthma and even though we use mattress covers she has horrible attacks at night, Please help!
- Because dust mites trigger asthma attacks it is a good idea to use mattress covers but pillows can be half their weight in dust mites. So simply throw them into your dryer 10 minutes on high that will kill the dust mites and therefore take care of your problem.
M. Bertolo Asks:
May 18th, 2011 at 1:50PM
All of your advice has truly helped my family, Thank you. My question is do living plants contribute to indoor allergies?
- Absolutely, especially if you have allergy to mold my advice is to eliminate all living plants in your home and switch to silk, now a day’s sometimes the bugs can’t even tell!
Donna Asks:
March 19th, 2011 at 2:25PM
Every morning when I wake up, my throat is always so dry and my lips are chapped. My mother told me I should have a humidifier installed. The prices I have been getting are right around $300 dollars installed I’m very young and I live on my own that’s a lot of money for me to spend, are there any other benefits to having this done?
- With central heating people are confined indoors with unnaturally dry air for many months each year. Humidifiers help to keep comfortable levels of moisture in the air, and properly maintain levels of humidity are beneficial for your respiratory system. Whole house humidifiers put moisture into the air, making harsh, dry air easier to breathe. I highly recommend one.
Nicole Asks:
June 11th, 2011 at 5:45PM
I’ve been hearing more and more of people being found dead in their home from carbon monoxide poisoning. What can I do to feel safe for me and my children?
- The best method of protection is to use a carbon monoxide detector that is similar to a smoke alarm and monitors the air for carbon monoxide and sounds an alarm if the specific level is detected. Ideally, you should have one detector adjacent to every living area in your home. Here are some other precautions: Because vehicles area a major cost of carbon monoxide poisoning, always back your car out of the garage to let it warm up. Never leave it running in the confined space of a garage, particularly if the garage is attached to the home.
The same holds true for lawn mowers or snow mobiles. Never use ovens or grills for heating devices.
Gina Asks:
June 18th, 2011 at 8:45AM
I always seem to have a odor in my house that I cannot get rid of, I’ve tried spraying air fresheners and lighting candles. However, these tactics only masks the odors. They do not get rid of them. Any ideas?
- Any ideas? They don’t call me the indoor air doctor for nothing. First, be careful these remedies may cause further contamination of the home with chemicals that cause allergic reactions in home owners. Bacteria, dust mites, animal dandruff, cats’ saliva, and mold may also be roots of your homes odor problem. One method to purify the area is by losing germicidal “UV” lights, which inhibit the growth of biological contaminates, they purify the air, preventing the grown of contaminates. They get installed directly into your duct work and are very effective in removing those hard to get rid of odors. Actually American Power Vac. does install those; you can contact them at 248-656-0600 for a price.
Lisa Asks:
July 6th, 2011 at 4:07PM
We have recently moved into a 40 year old home in Royal Oak, and my husband is experiencing a horrible allergic reaction as soon as he walks in the door. The symptoms seem to disappear almost immediately after he leaves. The only thing that he is allergic to is cats. We completely renovated the house before we moved in so there is not any old carpet, any ideas?
- Your husband’s issues are most definitely coming from the duct work. A little known fact is that cat and dog dander stays active in the duct work for 20 years. So if someone owned a cat in that home 15 years ago the dander can still cause problems, and by simply having the duct work clean will eliminate the problem. As a matter of fact, one of those old cape cod homes from Royal Oak that has never had the duct work clean can have up to 2 to 3 garbage bags full of cat/dog hair and other vacuum bag type material that is just built up over the years laying in the bottom of hold air side of your system.