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Found 27 results for the keyword(s) ‘Filters’

  • Article

    Softening water -- do electronic water softeners work?

    John from Halifax wrote in asking about replacing his salt based water softener with an electronic water softener to make it easier to water his lawn.   Note 2020: I originally wrote this article in 2004 and many products have come and gone since then.  I recently received several requests to l...
  • Article

    HIGH DENSITY AIR FILTERATION (HEPA & CARBON) – DO I NEED IT?

    After an exchange about hydroxyl air purifiers, Mike asks another question: "What is your opinion on purification units with HEPA and carbon filters versus the hydroxyl technology. I am reading a lot about fine particle pollution I.E dust and I notice that this (hydroxyl) technology does not eli...
  • Article

    Remove the outside air intake for the furnace when going all-electric?

    Gregory in Québec asked:   I recently replaced my oil furnace with a heat pump/electric furnace system. I live in the region of Montreal. The heat pump can heat/operate in temperatures as low as -30c. The oil furnace had an air intake duck supplying the furnace with outside (cold) air. I underst...
  • Article

    Advanced filtration systems -- portable and installed

    Many people would like to filter the air in their houses in an effort to improve indoor air quality. The most efficient of the furnace filter systems, when it is kept clean, is the electronic air cleaner. As you can see in the first photo, it is a large unit that is installed directly in the fur...
  • Article

    The basics of water purification and limitations of water filters.

    The microbiologist Dr. Phillip Stuart joined me to talk about residential water filtration systems. A couple of very important things came out.   Carbon filters, like the Brita and other counter-top or end of spout filters are only designed to use with treated water systems to remove bad tas...
  • Article

    PAN FAN - an air filter for toilets

    Over the years I have seen and tested a large number of gadgets designed to get rid of toilet odours, from double walled ceramic toilets that had an exhaust pipe to the outdoors, to exhaust ducts that fitted under the tank and various carbon filters situated under the seat. Finally an New Zealand...
  • Article

    STOPPING WOOD HEATING SMOKE FROM COMING INTO YOUR HOUSE.

    Cliquez ici pour voir cet article en français IS THERE A FIRE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? December 2018 - As I was walking home from the grocery store in the Montreal suburb of Longueuil in one of the first cold days of winter, I found myself choking on smoke.   I started looking around to see if the...
  • Article

    DIY -- Removing condensation from inside a thermal pane window.

        When condensation shows up inside a thermal pane double window (between the two pieces of glass), you know that the seals around the edge have been compromised, allowing moisture to get inside. These cannot really be re-sealed so the standard response to this problem is to replace the gla...
  • Article

    Pro: Water As a Tool - Sometimes a Damn Tool

    Adding water to concrete or masonry will definitely make it flow better and make it easier to work with, which is why just about everybody does it. At the same time you have all heard that this will weaken the final product and increase shrinkage, but just about everybody does it anyway. If the d...
  • Article

    How to properly duct an exhaust fan through a roof

    This item falls under the heading of 'things that homeowners can teach their contractor'. Unfortunately too many renovators do not know that you can cause serious damage to your roof if you don't duct exhaust fans completely out of an attic. Some know, but just don't care. You cannot just leave ...
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