IAQ = Indoor Air Quality
Most consumers see IAQ as somebody else’s problem. But as widespread as this head-in-the-sand belief may be, it’s hard to argue the facts: Many homes have indoor air quality issues. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates IAQ is 4-5 times more polluted than outdoor air! And while a study by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shows that indoor contaminants are responsible for half of all illnesses, the coughs, sneezes and irritation prompted by IAQ issues often gets chalked up to high outdoor pollen counts or the bug that’s going around town. Because the microscopic particles that cause IAQ issues don’t hold parades to announce their presence, it can be hard to identify which homes have IAQ problems and which homes don’t.

To help consumers determine if their homes suffer from IAQ issues we inserted a quiz for you to take.

"Improving the quality of the air we breath in our homes each day can have a significant effect on how we feel," says Steve Arnholt, IAQ systems leader for Trane. “But first people have to determine if they have a problem. And while no multiple choice test can accurately gauge the quality of indoor air, the quiz provides a simple tool for you to use as you start thinking about Indoor Air Quality.

Raise Your IAQ Awareness Quiz
Please check all that apply to you or your household.
  No one in my house has allergies
  No one in my house has asthma
  No one in my house gets frequent colds or sore throats
More than 15 million Americans have asthma and more than 28 million suffer from hay fever and other allergies, conditions that may be aggravated by airborne particles such as dust, pet dander and pollen.
  No one in my house smokes
  I do not have an indoor pet
Tobacco smoke actually contains over 4,000 compounds, many of which are strong irritants. And most homes built after 1979 have tighter insulation that helps to trap irritants such as smoke and pet dander indoors.
  I never have a sink full of dirty dishes
  I never have tables or countertops that haven’t been wiped clean
  I don’t have any food stored in unsealed containers
  All of my trash cans are sealed or covered
  My carpets are always freshly vacuumed
  None of my bathtubs and other surfaces have any mold or mildew
  I have no sheets that need washing

Even the cleanest homes can allow indoor air pollutants to flourish. Typical household activities such as cooking, cleaning and redecorating can spread indoor air pollutants.

Scoring:
8-12 = Your IAQ is okay. While you may have already taken steps to improve the IAQ in your home, there are still microscopic levels of particles and allergens that can make IAQ irritating.
3-7 = Your IAQ could be better. You may need to be more diligent in removing more contaminants from your home.
1-2 = Your IAQ is a challenge. It’s time to get serious about taking steps to improve your IAQ. Schedule a consultation with your air quality professional.

Trane Clean Effects Leaves Other Air Cleaners In The Dust!
One thing that most people do not realize is that your furnaces is built to pull all the air in your home through its system and that is what makes a whole house air filtration system attached to your furnace the best possible solution for cleaning the air in your home. There are many great claims about "in room air cleaners" but one fact rarely spoken about is the fact that all the air in your room needs to get pushed or pulled through the filter of the "in room air cleaner" and plain and simply put—it does not. It just could not possibly pull all the air from the whole room through its filter - it is not strong enough, the filters may be great and remove X amount of particulate from the air but if the air does not pass through the filter of the "in room air cleaner" it is not being cleaned. Trane, the climate control and home comfort company is a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems. It designs its systems to meet the specific needs of customers who want heating, cooling, dehydrating and air cleaning systems for residential & commercial applications. It has designed a system called Clean Effects which is 8-10 times more effective than the "in room air cleaners." Trane Clean Effects uses a patented technology that enables it to remove up to 98.98 percent of air born particles down to 0.3 microns in size. This technology allows Trane Clean Effects to clean more air at a faster rate than other home air cleaning devices. The Trane Clean Effects produces an electronic filed that places an electronic charge into even the tiniest particles which are then pulled into the collection cells that remove them. The Trane Clean Effects can be retrofitted to all Trane Furnaces. This is a great new product available in the Spring of 2006.