2013 EZBreathe Distributor Training Schedule
January 16, 17
February 13, 14
March 13,14
April 17, 18
May 15, 16
June 12, 13
July 17, 18
August 14, 15
September 18, 19
October 16, 17
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
May is Asthma Awareness Month
An estimated 25.7 million people, including approximately 7.1 million
children, have asthma and almost 13 million people report having an
asthma attack in the past year. Asthma accounts for over 15 million
physician office and hospital visits, and nearly 2 million emergency
department visits each year.
Asthma
can start at any age, and although there is no cure for asthma, it can be managed
so people with the disease can live a normal, healthy life. The most important steps that people can take is to eliminate or reduce asthma triggers. The easiest & most cost effective way to accomplish this is through Ventilation.
To learn more about how to manage asthma and asthma triggers, both the American Lung Association & the Environmental Protection Association have sites dedicated to helping people with asthma.
.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
NEWSFLASH: Garages are polluting our houses!
Wow, check out this most recent article on About.com that talks about the relationship between our attached garages & our homes:
Stop Garage Fumes from Polluting Indoor Air
Attached garages are very convenient, but there is mounting evidence that they are responsible for negatively affecting indoor air quality. That’s because much of what we use our garages for (cars, mowers, paints, lubricants) contains or generates substances that are considered toxic. Once the toxic substances become airborne, they can easily migrate indoors.
It’s a bit ironic that we keep a floor mat by the door leading from the garage to the house so that shoe bottoms can be cleaned of largely nontoxic items like dirt, yet we often take no such preventative measures regarding the air.
Car exhaust, toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds are present in almost all garages at least some of the time. And they can find their way into the house very easily through open doors, gaps around closed doors, ducts and other wall and ceiling penetrations.
There is scientific proof to back up this claim. A study involving 100 houses conducted by Health Canada found that those with attached garages had measurable quantities of benzene inside the house, while houses without attached garages had little if any benzene. Benzene is a gasoline-related pollutant. The study found similar results with other pollutants.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), long-term exposure to benzene can affect bone marrow and blood production. Short-term exposure to high levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness and death.
A survey of Minnesota houses during the winter of 1996-1997 found that 74 percent of homes with carbon monoxide (CO) detectors that went off were triggered by CO leaking in from the garage. Other studies from Iowa, Colorado and Alaska have found substantial evidence of garage-generated CO leaking into houses.
Nobody wants to breathe toxic pollutants, especially at home. Fortunately, there are a series of steps you can take to keep your indoor air quality something you need not worry about inhaling. Here are some tips:
- Keep the garage air clean. Avoid running the car, motorcycle, chain saw or lawn mower any longer than absolutely necessary while in the garage. Avoid placing mechanical systems such as water heaters and furnaces in the garage.
- Seal the gaps. Make sure the door leading from the garage into the house closes tightly and has proper weatherstripping applied. Seal all penetrations (ducts, wiring, etc.) leading into the house or the ceiling above the garage. Spray foam and caulk are good products for sealing these types of gaps.
- Finish the walls and ceilings. In new houses it is not uncommon for the garage to be left with open walls or with drywall attached but the joints not finished. Either of these conditions allow garage pollutants to easily find their way inside. Garage walls and ceilings that are completely covered with drywall, with joints properly sealed with tape and compound, and with the surface primed and painted are much less likely to leak. They are also much more attractive. (See How To Install Drywall Like a Pro.)
- Keep the door shut. Often you find yourself with full arms when entering the house from the garage. The result can be that the door remains open until you set the groceries down somewhere. Or maybe you or the kids simply forget to close the door, or fail to close it all the way. This can allow nasty fumes from the garage to enter the house quickly and easily. You can avoid this problem by installing a self-closing door.
- Keep the door open. Never start your car or any other internal combustion engine while the garage door is closed. And when you do start the engine after the door has been opened, move it outside as soon as possible and shut the door to prevent exhaust fumes from floating back into the garage. When you pull your car into the garage, shut it off as soon as possible and leave the door open for a few minutes to clear the air.
- Put a lid on it. Make sure all containers of potentially toxic items are sealed. Don’t let cans of paint thinner, solvents and other liquids sit uncovered.
- Vent it outdoors. If you spend a lot of time in the garage working with chemicals, paints, wood finishes, combustion engines and other such items, consider installing an exhaust fan that sends the smells and fumes to the outdoors. A decent bathroom or kitchen fan will be sufficient.
If you are planning to build a new house or garage, give some thought to making the garage fully detached from the house. In addition to largely eliminating garage pollutants from migrating inside the house, here are some other benefits of a detached garage.
Finally, make sure your home has at least one CO detector mounted probably. And, if you are curious about the CO levels in your garage, go ahead and mount one out there, at least temporarily, to see if it goes off on a regular basis. Though it might be irritating, it could be educational to learn that the air you are breathing in that space contains a toxic substance.
To view this article in full, go to: http://garages.about.com/od/buildingagarage/a/garages_and_indoor_air_quality.htm
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January is National Radon Action Month
According to the EPA, radon is estimated to contribute to 21,000 lung-cancer deaths per year. They recommend that everyone should get their home tested.
EZBreathe can help to reduce radon levels in the home. Radon comes from the ground, and therefore enters at the lowest levels of the home, just as water vapor does. EZBreathe is placed in that same place, to catch both contaminants as they enter the home, and exhaust them out of the home. Check out our website for pre and post radon test results that EZBreathe has achieved.
In addition, some EZBreathe Distributors, are also certified radon mitigation specialists, and have used EZBreathe in conjunction with sub-slab depressurization systems, when those systems were unable to bring radon levels below the 4 picocuries per liter of air action level. Together the two systems achieved the desired level. EZBreathe has been shown repeatedly to get below the action level, without any supplemental systems.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The new EPA Indoor airPlus program
The Environmental Protection Agency has created the “Indoor airPlus” program (www.epa.gov/indoorairplus
It is important to note that this is a new program, for new homes that are being built today and homes that will be built in the future. Unfortunately, this program doesn't apply to the over 130 million existing homes in the United States. However, the good news is…the new guidance on how to build a healthy home, can be applied to existing homes as well.
A checklist of 37 requirements is necessary to earn the “Indoor airPlus” designation for a new home. The EZ Breathe Ventilation System fulfills seven of these requirements for new construction and also as applied to an existing home in an effort to have a “healthy home”.
"1.4 Basement/crawlspaces insulated & conditioned"
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement as it exhausts damp, contaminated air out of the space, and conditions the basement or crawlspace with upstairs conditioned air.
"2.1 Approved radon-resistant features installed"
EZ Breathe is a proven method of reducing radon levels in the home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer death, according the American Lung Association. Radon-resistant features will keep radon from entering the home. However, in existing homes it difficult to implement these features as they are often implemented during initial construction. Therefore, in existing homes, radon is most likely entering the home. EZ Breathe captures radon at its entry point, the lowest level of the home, and exhausts it to the outside, removing the harmful gas from the home.
"4.5 Whole house ventilation system installed to meet ASHRAE 62.2- Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low Rise Residential Buildings" requirements"
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement. The national standard for ventilating homes, ASHRAE's table for determining the appropriate air flow rates for homes varies from 30 cubic feet per minute(cfm), and up to to 165 cfm for homes larger than 7500 square feet. The EZ Breathe System can be adjusted with a simple turn of the speed dial to accommodate the entire range!
"4.6 Local exhaust ventilation to outdoors for baths, kitchen, clothes dryers, central vacuum systems, etc."
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement. Exhausting moisture and contaminants at their source is the best way to ensure removal from the home. The EZ Breathe system is a ventilation appliance that rests on the floor of the lowest level in the home (basement, crawlspace, slab) and removes the water vapor, soil gases and other pollutants that naturally enter a home through this foundation. In addition, EZ Breathe can be used near any contaminant source for example: aquarium, pet area, nail salon, art studio, indoor pool, etc.
"4.8 Additional dehumidification system(s) or central HVAC dehumidification controls installed ( reccommended for warm-humid climates only)"
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement. The EZ Breathe Ventilation System dehumidifies by exhausting the humid air from the basement or crawlspace and draws the dry, conditioned air from the upper levels down to replace the humid air. The EZ Breathe does so at one-tenth the electric usage of a traditional dehumidifier.
"5.6 Exhaust fan (minimum 70 cfm, rated for continuous use) installed in garage & vented to outdoors (controls optional)"
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement. EZ Breathe has an adjustable speed fan with a capacity up to 176 cfm. Automotive exhaust, and other fumes off-gassed by a car, lawn mower, weed wacker, etc. in a garage can accumulate to dangerous levels. In addition, if the garage is attached, those fumes will naturally be drawn into the home, unless garage ventilation is provided.
"7.2 Home ventilated before occupancy OR initial ventilation instructions provided for buyer"
EZ Breathe fulfills this requirement. EZ Breathe is one of the most cost effective strategies that provide whole home ventilation. Materials inherent in the building process are extremely harmful and toxic such as formaldehyde, glue, epoxy, resin, carpet fiber, varnish, paint, etc. Exhausting those contaminants prior to occupancy is critically important. That "new home" smell is actually a dangerous "cocktail" of chemicals!
So, if you want your home to be as healthy as the best homes being built today and in the future, EZ Breathe is the best choice to help you have a healthy home!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
EZ Breathe Exhibiting at Indoor Air 2011 & The 2011 Healthy Homes Conference
Indoor Air 2011 is being held at the University of Texas in Austin, TX from June 5-11, 2011. The Conference was started in 1978 and is the Triennial signature conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate. Indoor Air moves around the globe, and was most recently held in Copenhagen (2008) & Beijing (2005).
This is an enormous opportunity for EZ Breathe to gain international exposure, as the technical program will involve over 40 hours of special forums & 600 presentations by speakers hailing from 51 different countries.
If you find yourself in the Austin, TX area during this time, stop by & visit us at booth #25.
For additional information on the show visit www.indoorair2011.org.
-----------------------------------------------------
The 2011 National Healthy Homes Conference (NHHC) is being held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver CO. It will run from June 20-23, 2011. The NHHC is the housing industry's most comprehensive, progressive & educational forum on the issue of healthy, safe & sustainable homes. The technical programs feature industry leaders & nationally renowned speakers with multiple learning tracks that will offer over 150 diverse educational sessions.
If you want to be the "go-to" person in the field of Healthy Homes, then consider attending the NHHC. While there, come visit us at booth # 601.
For more information, visit www.healthyhomesconference.org.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month
E●Z Breathe Offers a Breath of Fresh Air for Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month
Home Ventilation System Provides Relief from Environmental Irritants
Asthma and allergies are at epidemic proportions this spring. Asthma, a serious life-threatening respiratory disease, affects over 20 million individuals while allergies affect as many as 40 million Americans.[1] According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the number of Americans with these two chronic conditions has at least doubled in the last twenty years. Currently, there are around 60 million people who suffer from either allergies or asthma and this number is on the rise. May is known as the peak time for seasonal allergies with pollen counts skyrocketing and sufferers seeking relief. Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month was put into effect to create awareness about these conditions and educate the public about ways minimize exposure.[2] Understanding these health risks, the E●Z Home Ventilation System, (www.ezbreathe.com) seeks to help families improve the quality of air in the homes during the month of May.
The development of asthma and allergies can be caused by several factors including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Although there is no cure at this time, asthma and allergies can be controlled through medical treatment as well as management of environmental factors. Awareness and prevention are the best defense against asthma and allergies. It is important for people to become aware of the triggers that can lead to allergy and asthma attacks and to minimize exposure to them. The most common allergy triggers include pollen, dust mites, mildew and mold, pet dander, smoke, cleaning products, and fragrances. E●Z Breathe combats all of these issues by exhausting harmful contaminants in the air and replacing it with fresh ventilated air from outside.
Studies have indicated that home intervention in the form of a ventilation system is an effective, preventative approach to asthma and allergy symptoms.[3] The E●Z Breathe Home Ventilation System improves quality of air within the home significantly, making it a safer, healthier place for the entire family. E●Z Breathe is designed to rid the home of harmful moisture and humidity, not re-circulate polluted air. E●Z Breathe ventilates by drawing moist, stale, contaminated air out of the home, replenishes by replacing moist air with fresh dry air and regulates airflow to reach and maintain a desired level of humidity.
In addition to the unpleasant effects of asthma and allergies, the costs involved are significant. According to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the annual cost for asthma treatment is estimated at nearly $5,000 per person.[4] The E●Z Breathe Home Ventilation System offers families the option of making a onetime investment towards their family’s health.
“It is very important for people to become aware of what pollutants are in the air that they breathe every day since these contaminants can trigger allergic reactions and/or asthma attacks” states Erika Lacroix, President of E●Z Breathe. “EZ Breathe offers a simple solution to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of illness related to indoor air pollution.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)