ASD Amer Standard CO

American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning's Dust Bunny Barometer Uncovers Concerns and Solutions for Poor Indoor Air Quality in 20 Major U.S. Cities TYLER, Texas, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The dust has settled -- and chances are dust bunnies are lurking in your home, especially if you live in Pittsburgh or Seattle. Nearly 75 percent of homeowners admitted their houses had unwanted piles of dust, pet hair and other particles known as dust bunnies, according to those surveyed in 20 major U.S. cities for the first-ever Dust Bunny Barometer from American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. The Dust Bunny Barometer from American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning found that 82 percent of Pittsburgh and Seattle residents battle dust bunnies in their homes, the most of those cities surveyed. Sacramento reported the fewest dust bunnies but still claimed a significant presence with 69 percent of residents admitting to having them in their homes. Results for all 20 cities can be found at http://www.americanstandardair.com/dustbunny. While dust bunnies live in most homes, only a small number of households are taking significant preventative action against poor indoor air quality, which can be aggravated by dust, particulates and allergens. The findings revealed 75 percent of respondents expressed concern about the air quality inside their homes -- but only 11 percent feel they have their dust bunny population under control. "The Dust Bunny Barometer tells us that homeowners know they have dust bunnies and they're concerned about the air in their homes," said Joyce Warrington, national brand director, American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. "Families want solutions to get rid of dust bunnies once and for all so that they can breathe easier in their own homes." Factors and Remedies to Poor Air Quality More than half of the total surveyed residents say someone in their home suffers from an allergy-inducing ailment and three out of four households own a pet. Both scenarios underscore the importance of air quality. Despite citing high numbers of particulates and allergens, only one out of four households currently uses an air purifier or humidifier and only 58 percent reported changing their air filters in the past six months when it's recommended most air filters should be replaced monthly. One of the ways to combat those dust bunnies is through whole-home air filtration systems. The American Standard AccuClean(TM) whole-home air filtration system, for example, removes up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles and allergens from the filtered air. With American Standard AccuClean, the majority of irritating particles like dust, pollen, pet hair and dander, lint, cooking smoke and even bacteria will be removed from the filtered air. Find Local Dust Bunny Barometer Findings and Solutions Findings from the Dust Bunny Barometer survey and indoor air quality solutions are available at http://www.americanstandardair.com/dustbunny. Local Market Findings The Dust Bunny Barometer revealed many notable perspectives from local residents about finding comfort in their homes. Examples of local survey results include a higher number of claims from Baltimore, Houston and Pittsburgh residents that their indoor air was "very/somewhat unclean" compared to other cities. Those in Boston, Minneapolis and Chicago more frequently mentioned having dust bunnies under the bed than in other markets. And survey respondents in Charlotte, Houston and Sacramento claimed to suffer more often from ailments that make them susceptible to allergens compared to other cities. Listed below are more local market findings by key categories: Markets Reporting Dust Bunnies Top 5: Pittsburgh 82% Seattle 82% Minneapolis 80% Portland, Ore. 79% Kansas City, Mo. 77% Bottom 5: Dallas 71% Tampa, Fla. 71% Raleigh, N.C. 71% Orlando 70% Sacramento 69% Markets Indicating Concerns About Indoor Air Quality Top 5: Nashville 88% Charlotte 88% Dallas 88% Houston 87% Chicago 86% Bottom 5: Seattle 79% Boston 79% Denver 79% Sacramento 78% Minneapolis 76% Markets Claiming to Own Pets With Dander Top 5 Denver 77% Seattle 77% Portland, Ore. 77% Baltimore, Md. 76% Tampa, Fla. 76% Bottom 5: Charlotte 70% Minneapolis 70% Boston 69% Chicago 67% Raleigh 66% Top 5 Actions Taken to Fight Dust Bunnies (in the past six months) Used a vacuum 81% Used a duster 64% Used a broom 64% Changed air filter 58% Used a paper towel 57% Top 5 Places Where Dust Bunnies Gather (in the past six months) Corners and molding 70% Under the bed 65% Ceiling fans 59% Heating vents/AC 53% Under the sofa 53% About the American Standard Dust Bunny Barometer Respondents were screened from American Consumer Opinion(R) Online, Decision Analyst's international Internet panel of more than 7 million consumers, in order to identify a sample of homeowners. The opinion poll sponsored by American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning measured consumers' perceptions of indoor air quality and gauged their tolerance toward dust bunnies. The Dust Bunny Barometer was developed by American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning whose staff determined the issues to be covered in this survey. The study provided insights about homeowners from 20 markets: Baltimore; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh, N.C.; Sacramento, Calif.; St. Louis; Seattle/Tacoma; and Tampa, Fla. A total of 6,804 respondents who lived in single-family dwellings participated in the survey. About American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning provides air conditioning systems and services for residential and light commercial applications. The company is part of American Standard (NYSE:ASD), which generated 2006 global sales of $11.2 billion with market-leading positions in three businesses: air conditioning systems and services, sold under the Trane(R) and American Standard(R) brands for commercial, institutional and residential buildings; bath and kitchen products, sold under such brands as American Standard(R) and Ideal Standard(R); and vehicle control systems, including electronic braking and air suspension systems, sold under the WABCO(R) name to the world's leading manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, buses, SUVs and luxury cars. At the close of 2006, the company employed approximately 62,000 people and had manufacturing operations in 28 countries. American Standard is included in both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, which recognizes the top 20 percent of leaders in corporate sustainability in North America. On Feb. 1, 2007, the company announced plans to separate its three businesses by spinning off its vehicle control systems business (completed on Aug. 1), selling its bath and kitchen business and then renaming itself Trane. The separation is on track for completion by early fall. DATASOURCE: American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning CONTACT: Consumer Media, David Kargas of Carmichael Lynch Spong, +1-720-946-6342, ; Trade Media, Nora DePalma of Building Profits Inc., +1-770-772-4726, Web site: http://www.americanstandardair.com/dustbunny

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