Flu shots, frequent hand washing and cleaning of home surfaces are important ways your family can stay protected during cold and flu season. Equally important is maintaining everyone's general health with enough sleep, exercise, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious foods.

But few Delaware, Maryland or Pennsylvania homeowners know about the benefits to winter health available with three important enhancements to their home comfort systems. These include:

1. Humidification systems, These keep throat and nasal passages moist and healthy, better able to resist virus infections. In a study published in the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Jeffrey Shaman of Oregon State University concludes that the influenza virus' "ability to survive and be transmitted person-to-person is greatly affected by how dry or wet the air is."
2. State-of-the-art air filtration.  Ours not only captures and kills flu viruses from the airstream but eliminates dust, mold spores and other allergens that can irritate air passages making them more susceptible to cold and flu infections both inside and away from the home.
3. A space-age "air scrubber." This revolutionary technology literally destroys viruses, odors and pollutants in the air while disinfecting surfaces in your home.

Many manufacturers and their representatives among our competitors offer a host of air cleaning "solutions" backed by wide-ranging claims of effectiveness. But after a careful study of all the available data, Stan has narrowed his recommendations to the only two products that are firmly supported by university research:

1. The revolutionary AccuClean^TM system: With 98.98% removal of pollutants including dust, pollen, cooking grease, tobacco smoke, bacteria and the common influenze A virus, AccuClean is simply the BEST home air cleaning system in the nation, PERIOD! This finding was demonstrated by research conducted by the Harvard School of Public health in conjunction with scientists at Environmental Health and Engineering,
   
   Unlike many electronic air cleaners on the market, the AccuClean^TM system is specifically engineered to fall well below the 50 ppb FDA voluntary emission limit for medical devices. In fact, testing by third parties indicated that there's no more ozone in a home with AccuClean than already naturally occurs in the environment.
   
   Ozone, often referred to as  "smog," is an invisible gas made up of three oxygen molecules. The American Lung Association warns that ozone  "irritates and inflames the respiratory system causing "shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing and coughing." Most at risk include very young children, seniors and people with chronic lung disease including asthma and COPD.
    
3. The activ Tek^TM Induct 2000 -- Ozone FREE: This low maintenance unit is installed in your ductwork or plenum to treat all air circulating through your home comfort system. It utilizes tested ActivePure^(R) technology "to significantly reduce odors, visible smoke in the air, and treat contamination on surfaces." It is proven effective against:

• Bacteria & viruses
• Pet odors
• Cooking odors
• Mold spores
• Tobacco smoke
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds) found in household cleaners, insecticides, upholstery & carpet treatments, and in the engineered materials used in furniture and cabinetry.

Here's how it works:

For years, manufacturers and HVAC contractors have incorporated UV bulbs into their air cleaning systems in an attempt to purify indoor air. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the effectivenss of such systems has been limited by the one-inch rule. That means that a pollutant must come within one inch of the UV bulb preferably in still air to cause even a minimal amount of purification.

The next generation technology to come along -- photo chemical oxidation (PCO) -- coupled the UV light with a titanium dioxide catalyst to chemically generate a plasma of oxides and hydroxyls. When circulated through the air, these free radicals would come in contact with pollutant molecules and neutralize them by oxidizing them into harmless water vapor.

But there was a problem: the process produced ozone -- a respiratory irritant.

The active Tek^TM system utilizes a new ozone-free technology developed by NASA scientists to safely scrub the air and surfaces in spacecraft. This same radiant catalytic ionization (RCI) technology is incorporated into the activ Tek^TM system. Here a high-intensity UVX bulb is surrounded by a honeycomb matrix coated with four rare metals to produce a plasma of safe oxides and hydroxyls. Its effectivness is verified by on-going research conducted by Dr. James Marsden and his team at Kansas State University. That research has been augmented by on-going studies on particle removal at both the University of Cincinnati and Syracuse University.

activTek^TM is the ONLY air purification company that can provide scientific substantiation of kill rates of over 99.99% of the likes of bacteria, viruses, mold and even Avian Flu.

Protect your family this cold and flu season. Schedule a no-pressure, no-cost, no-obligation consultation with your Stan Perkoski's professional.