The Many Various Variations Of Air Conditioning Filters
A common type of air conditioning filters used today is the guideline fiberglass air filter and can also be called a furnace filter. These filters come in one or two inch thickness. Millions of homeowners use these types of filters due to the affordability. Although, when these are used in place of the right filter, people will need to have their cooling coil pulled out and cleaned every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years.
The washable aluminum mesh filter is the worst one to install. Dust and Dirt glides off the mesh area. This allows it to be a more inefficient filter than the fiberglass. When using this particular filter, you will need to pull your cooling coil and have it cleaned every 12 months. It will definitely cost you more to run this style filter.
Another filter style is a polyester filter. These filters have a thickness of 1 to 2 inches. Even though this filter is better than the fiberglass filter, it still is inefficient. With this one your cooling coil only needs to be replaced about every 5 years. These filters do not cost much more than the fiberglass ones, but is more efficient than a fiberglass one.
A polyester filter is what you will see in most homes today. The thickness of these go up to 4 inches. It is because of the density of this filter is why it catches tinier dust particles. The effectiveness and different sizes they come in are about the same, the thickness gives it the ability to catch more dirt and it does not have to be changed as often. The thicker one is a little better due to it allowing more air to pass through a little slower which makes it more efficient. Polyester filters are more confined, so be careful to not cause sweating or freeze up problems in your system.
The next generation in pleated filters is a HEPA filter. The thickness of this filter is typically four or five inches. These filters are a lot better than most and have received much higher ratings than the before mentioned filters. Depending on your home, these cartridge type filters may need to be changed every six months to a year. One of the biggest advantages of these filters is that the dirtier it becomes, these easier it is to catch the smaller dirt particles as the openings of the filter become increasingly smaller. Because these filters don’t just go into the standard opening, they need to be replaced by a professional.
A big misunderstanding is the washable Electro-Static filter. This filter is known for gathering dust and dirt by creating a static charge as air passes through a succession of mesh material. This is a good idea, but when the house has any humidity in it, there is no static charge.
There are also electronic filters on the market and the thickness of them is usually 5 inches with an electrical current throughout it. This filter emits a charged ion field to a collector cell that has a reverse charge. This technology is not new, just reinvented. This filter is one of the most effective due to it being able to catch the smallest of dirt and dust particles. The 2 problems this filter has is that it needs to be cleaned about once a month and it is fragile.
In short, a better filtration system will collect almost all particles that pass through it down to a microscopic level. Remember that the best air conditioning filters can’t get all dust and dirt particles as some particles fall and collect throughout surfaces in your home.
Do you change your air conditioning filters frequently? Nor replacing air conditioner filters creates unhealthy air. Make sure your family is safe. Get filters right now and breathe free!