FAQ

There are short-term problems that can happen when an odor occurs. We’ve recently seen several cases in Texas where entire buildings were evacuated because of this. Then there are the long-term considerations involving exposure to a myriad of contaminants. Chemicals, particles, and molds can all cause the problem categorized as sick building syndrome.

Probably the most important issues involve productivity. We should consider the impact on an office building’s staff, the productivity of teachers, end even classroom or student learning environments when discussing indoor air quality.

Some indoor air problems, however, can be subtle and won’t always produce easily recognized impacts on health, well-being, or the building.

Bottled water is not the answer. There are no standards for how "pure" bottled water should be other than occasional testing for bacteria at bottling sites. How has the equipment been maintained? Is it truly purified water in the bottle?

Much of bottled water is spring water that is not run through a water filter at all. Some city water is filtered simply to remove the taste of chlorine, which still has fluoride and other chemicals in it.

How long has the water been stored in inventory? Bacteria can be growing in it. Also, bottled water is very expensive.

Many plastic water bottles contain BPA, a toxic chemical that leaches into the water. Some that claim to be "BPA Free", have BPS instead, which is just as toxic! All plastics contain polymers that potentially might leach into the water.

The most convenient and effective way to have good quality water is to set up your own water purifier in your kitchen and a shower or bath filter in the bathroom.  Why not have a water purification system that gives you the best water economically?

With your own pure water system, you can have dependably safe water, really pure water, for a cent or two per gallon.

While bottled water may be an improvement over-chlorinated tap water, any onsite point-of-use or point-of-entry water treatment with a well-maintained system would be preferable to bottled water, which is clearly unreliable and expensive.

You never know the quality of purchased bottled water. It may be inadequately filtered or not at all. It may have been sitting in a warehouse or on a shelf for many weeks before you buy it.

If bottled water has been purified, how often have the cartridges been changed in the purifying system? The same question may be raised about pure water dispensing machines. These usually use reverse osmosis, which could produce poor water quality if not maintained properly.

With point-of-use purification, you know what you are getting, and the cost per gallon is vastly lower than with bottled water. 

If there are financial restraints, consider building or remodeling a net zero-ready home. If there is a lack of sunlight, consider building or remodeling a near-zero home that has all the energy-saving features of a zero energy home, but without the solar collectors.

During a utility power outage, an automatic backup generator provides numerous advantages over a portable generator:

The American Red Cross recommends permanently installed backup generators as a safer way to provide backup power to a home than a portable generator.

With an automatic backup generator properly installed outside, your home is protected from deadly carbon monoxide poisoning which is a much greater risk with portable generators.

Running on the home’s natural gas or LP fuel supply, it is less expensive to run than gasoline and sources such as natural gas do not need to be refilled.

They start automatically within seconds of a power outage and eliminate the need to haul a portable generator outside or run extension cords throughout your home.

They provide protection 24/7, whether you’re home or away, and they turn themselves off when utility power returns, so there is no need to monitor the unit during an outage.

Unless your solar energy system includes battery storage and you are fully off the grid, you will still receive a bill from your utility. However, you can dramatically reduce your bill, or even cut the amount you owe to $0, with a solar panel system that matches your energy use.

As a member of our Star Maintenance Program, you'll receive a 5-year warranty for all parts.