E. W. Polk, M.D., retired family practitioner

Rochester, Minnesota

When E. W. Polk, M.D. retired from his family medical practice and moved to Rochester, Minnesota, he knew he wanted a superior air filtration system in his new home. His wife has suffered from asthma all her life.  With his experience as a medical professional, he knew that it was important for both of them, but especially his wife, to have a clean, healthy indoor environment. He also knew they needed to limit their exposure to airborne chemical and particle pollutants.

“The tremendous burning of millions of tons of fossil fuel in this country and in the world is leading to massive air pollution,” says Dr. Polk. “I worked for years as a doctor, and understand the affects of biologically active products of combustion that are breathed into our lungs, passed into our bloodstream, and then into every cell of our body; even into our DNA. Every day the connection between the increase in pollutants and the massive increases in heart disease and cancer is becoming clearer. And of course, there is a much higher incidence of these diseases in urban areas that are more polluted.”

Dr. Polk wanted to ensure that the air inside his home is clean and healthy– he and his wife wanted to create a haven from airborne pollutants. He called K&S Heating and Cooling. Justin Strain, indoor air quality (IAQ) manager and comfort advisor worked with Dr. Polk to achieve this.

“I wanted a no-nonsense system that is going to get the job done,” says Dr. Polk. “There are a lot of charlatans out there – useless equipment like ionic generators and the like, that you find at big retail outlets. I wanted real results, something scientifically proven.”

Justin delivered the proof Dr. Polk was looking for. He ran AirAdvice ™ IAQ tests and thoroughly diagnosed the situation. After recommending and installing the whole-home filtration system, Justin ran further AirAdvice tests to demonstrate the power of the system at work.

The results were outstanding. 

“I know that the [airborne] particle count in Rochester never goes below 400,000 per cc [cubic centimeter]. But I’ve seen it at above 10 million,” says Dr. Polk, who keeps a close eye on outdoor air pollution levels. “Inside my home, the count is now just 20,000. When you consider that human skin sheds about 25,000 particles an hour, it really puts things into perspective.”

Dr. Polk conducted an experiment. He turned off his new system while running an AirAdvice IAQ test monitor in his home. “When I turned off the filtration system, I was shocked to see how quickly the house re-contaminated itself. Even in this modern, reasonably sealed house, that 20,000 count was up to 200,000 in 8 hours.”

Over the years, Dr. Polk saw a lot of people suffering with asthma, including his wife. “I know that children can be the most vulnerable. I’ve seen the studies that show the devastating affect asthma can have on children. If I had children, I would pick up the phone today and find a way to get the test.”

Of course, Dr. Polk remains concerned about outdoor air pollution, but he’s glad to be able to have control over his indoor environment. “A good indoor air system can protect you from the tens of thousands of pollutants in our air,” he says. “It’s the best thing you can do – protect your own family in your own home. With clean indoor air, you can extend and protect your health.”

 

Duane and Sonia Ellsworth, parents and homeowners

Rochester, Minnesota

Two years ago, Duane and Sonia Ellsworth noticed that the whole family – especially one of their two children, their now six-year-old daughter – seemed to be “sick, sick, sick, all the time” as Sonia puts it.

As a high school educator, teaching ninth grade chemistry, physics, and geophysics, Sonia was aware of the possible connection between poor indoor air quality and the family’s recurring illnesses and respiratory symptoms. She thought that having the ductwork cleaned in their relatively new, tightly sealed Rochester home might help the situation. She called K&S Heating and Cooling.

Justin Strain, indoor air quality (IAQ) manager and comfort advisor at K&S, recommended an AirAdvice ™ IAQ test prior to having any work done. This test would allow minute-by-minute diagnosis over several days in order to uncover any “invisible” problems with the home’s indoor environment and allow him to make the recommendations that would best address the Ellsworth family’s concerns.

“The test made total sense,” says Sonia. “It was very interesting to be able to measure what was going on. Once we saw the reports, there was no question that we had a problem for sure. But at least now we knew what we could do.”

Justin made recommendations based on the test results and the Ellsworth family’s desire for a clean, healthy home. Along with a duct cleaning, they decided on a new heating and cooling system and filtration with a UV system to help eliminate airborne bacteria and viruses.

“We’ve noticed a significant difference in the virus-related stuff since the system was put in,” says Sonia. “We’re all feeling a lot better.”

Soon after the system was installed, Justin ran another AirAdvice test to make sure the systems were performing as expected. “We were wowed with the air test differences before and after,” says Sonia. “It was very interesting to be able to measure the chemicals and particulates that were floating around. There was a significant reduction with the new system.”

Besides feeling healthier and more comfortable themselves, the family gets compliments from their guests. “My brother is allergic to cats, and we’ve got three of them,” says Sonia. “Before, after just an hour or two in the house he’d used to feel it. Since the new system, he hasn’t had much trouble. Other people who get stuffy and sneezy around cats notice that they are not having that kind of experience in our house.”

Now, two years later, Sonia, Duane, and their son and daughter are all still “perfectly satisfied” with their indoor environment. As a mother and a teacher who’s become all the more aware of difference good indoor air quality can make to her family’s health and comfort, Sonia plans to check in with Justin at K&S and have a “check-up” AirAdvice ™ IAQ test.– just to make sure everything’s as it should be.

 

Bob and Janet Clark, senior citizens and dog enthusiasts

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Bob and Janet Clark have, as Bob puts it, “lots of dogs.” For years, they’ve taken in abused pugs. Several of these personable toy dogs share their rural Chattanooga home at any given time.

Bob and Janet also both have allergies. On top of that, Janet has asthma. As senior citizens, they are concerned about maintaining their health, but they have no intention of giving up their dogs.

They realized that their home’s air wasn’t perfect. They tried to get relief from their symptoms and the endless dust and dander using in-room electronic air cleaners, but these didn’t seem to make any difference. The Clarks weren’t sure what else they could do.

Then, about two years ago, Bob met Lenny Delius, general manager and IAQ comfort consultant for Service Heating and Air Conditioning, at a home show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lenny suggested to Bob and Janet that they run an AirAdvice ™ IAQ test in their home. The test could diagnose what was going on in the Clark home’s air, and the results would allow Lenny to recommend the solutions that would actually achieve the cleaner, healthier air the Clarks were hoping for.

Bob and Janet were intrigued. They had the AirAdvice test and are very glad they did.

“We had all this testing done,” says Bob. “After we saw what was going on, we had filtration and humidification installed on our existing system. The result is that we don’t have allergy problems anything like we used to. It’s been well worth it. I can breathe now. Janet’s doing great too.”

Their home is a much more comfortable place for dogs and humans alike. “[The system] takes the dust out of the air,” says Bob. “It keeps the house cleaner. In all seriousness, the quality of the heat and air [conditioning] has risen a lot too.”

The Clarks felt like Service Heating and Air genuinely cared about their personal well-being. “They’re very caring,” says Bob. “Everything we’ve had done has been well worth it. Things have gone just exceedingly well.”

Steve and Sue Miller, homeowners

Goshen, Indiana

In the two years since they’d moved in to their 12-year-old home in Goshen, Indiana, homeowners Steve and Sue Miller suffered constant health problems. Steve’s flues and colds seemed endless. Worse yet, Sue had headaches that could last three or four days without relief.

The Millers were desperate. They’d been going to doctors but it wasn’t enough. Then Steve heard about the connection between poor indoor air quality and the symptoms they suffered. He acted on their new information immediately and called Crystal Valley Comfort.

Steve thought that a new filtration system might help Sue’s headaches. Crystal Valley’s Kenton Hostetler recommended that before installing equipment that they run an AirAdvice ™ IAQ test. Kenton suspected that more might be going on in the home than filtration alone would solve. With a test to determine what the problems actually were, he would be able to recommend the right solution versus guessing at a solution.

The Millers took Kenton’s advice and ran the AirAdvice test in their home. From there, things quickly got better. The report pointed to the best solution – an air purifier
system that takes out airborne bacteria, virus, and germ microbes and neutralizes them, streaming sanitized air into the home.

“We received a very detailed chart and report of what was going on in our home,” Steve writes. “The AirAdvice test was the perfect tool for the job. The report it generated gave Kenton the information to choose the right system for us. He could have sold us a more expensive unit for dust and chemicals, but the monitor showed us that we needed to take chemicals out of the air. He saved us money as well as solving our problems. Without the AirAdvice test, who knows how much time and money it would have taken to figure out what was wrong.”

Kenton based the Millers’ solution – a Guardian purifier – on their test results. “The [AirAdvice] monitor told me the real story and I was able to find the problem as being chemicals,” says Kenton. “I had asked [Sue] if she would call herself chemically sensitive and she said yes, which helped in understanding the real issue once the graph showed the resulting elevated VOCs [chemical pollutants].”

The new equipment has made all the difference for Steve and Sue. Steve writes, “After they installed the system my wife has had very few headaches and when she does get them they only last a couple of hours - without any medication. This system has given us both great relief. I haven’t been sick with a cold or flu in the seven months that we had it installed.”

Kenton ran a follow-up AirAdvice test in the Miller home. The “after” test proved that the system was working as intended. The chemical pollutant level dropped from 1600 to 400 ug/m3 (micrograms per meter of air) after the purifier was installed.

Steve and Sue have healthier, cleaner air in their home. They enjoy additional benefits as well. “We experienced a burnt dinner that we did two days before the system was installed,” Steve explains. “The smell just would not go away. Three hours after installing the system, the smell was gone.”

The Millers highly recommend the AirAdvice test as well as the excellent service from Crystal Valley Comfort.

Mrs. D., parent of asthmatic son

Charlotte, North Carolina

As a parent, you do your best to provide a healthy environment for your children. But sometimes there are pollutants in the air inside your home that you are not even aware of; that can cause serious health problems. That’s the experience that Mrs. D., a homeowner in Charlotte, North Carolina, had when their air purification system failed.

Five years ago, her severely asthmatic young son was able to begin leading a normal life with the help of a newly installed air purification system. But then, unknown to the family, the system failed. Mrs. D. called Patterson Heating & Air Conditioning. They had originally installed the system. The first thing Patterson did was run an AirAdvice ™ IAQ test. to help pinpoint what was going wrong.

"Over time, we’d forgotten how effective a good air system can be on the quality of your life—unknown to us, this one had failed,” reported Mrs. D. “We only knew that our son’s asthma was getting worse, his medications had escalated, he was out sick from school and in bed all the time. His condition continued to deteriorate until our doctor was recommended we pull him out of sports and limit his activities. That’s about the same time that Patterson Heating & Air Conditioning discovered the old system was no longer working.”

Patterson immediately recommended and installed a new system. The difference it made for Mrs. D’s son was dramatic. Within a week, his wheezing and other symptoms were gone.

"I can’t say how relieved I am to see my son’s health restored. There’s no other feeling like it; watching your child recover and return to a normal life,” says Mrs. D. “We have been able to reduce his medications to preventative doses. He’s returned to sports part time over the holidays, and will be rejoining his team this spring. I have my bright-eyed, healthy-toned, highly active son back again, and never has a parent been happier to see it.”