The original purpose of an air conditioner filter was to protector indoor air conditioner parts from particles that could damage it. Those were AC filter primary tasks.
Some people are not satisfying with that task, so AC filter manufacture designed high efficiency air conditioners filters that could catch a particle smaller than the size of your hair. Wow!
Nowadays, there is air filters design specific for your environment need, it comes with a difference brand name (Hunter filters, Trane air filters, 3m Filtrete air filters, Honeywell furnace filters.etc), and MERV (Minimum efficiency reporting value).
MERV is an efficiency ratio to determine the ability of air conditioners filters or furnace filter to capture particle when it passes through the air filters.
The air conditioning filters efficiency values (MERV) are numbering 1 to 16. The MERV efficiency is measure in microns. The higher MERV number, the better the air filters ability to removing particles.
The lowest level supposed to protect the equipment. The middle and higher levels supposed to filter mildew, spores, pollen, and even viruses.
Difference types of air conditioner filters:
What is standard air conditioning filter?
Standard air condition filters designed just to clean the indoor air conditioner parts. It is make of fiberglass or polyester; it has a flat surface area with a cardboard frame.
What are pleated air filters?
Pleated air filters - This type of air conditioning filters has more surface area. The manufactured developed this air filters by folding air filters materials back and forth to provide more surface area.
Pleated air filters are efficient when in compared with media air filter, it is effective at removing particles range from five to ten microns, it also means that pleated air filter can stop pollen in ten microns and up.
What is electrostatic air filters?
Electrostatic air filters designed with polyester and polypropylene materials, it uses filter media that put an electrical charge on all particles as it passes through the air filters. These charged particles are either negative or positive charge. Once these airborne particles are charge, it then attracts to collector layer with the opposite charge.
What creates this static charged is the moving air through the Electrostatic filters. It is a self-generated charged; it does not need electricity. Electrostatic air filter can have built in electrostatic charge.
Electrostatic air filters are different from standard throw way air filter. Electrostatic air filter has layered; it has four or more layer. Depend how the manufacture designed. However, this air filters still going into the same slot as a regular air conditioner filter.
What is HEPA?
HEPA stand for “high efficiency particulate air”, “high efficiency particulate absorbing”, “high efficiency particulate arrestance” or “high efficiency particulate air.”
HEPA air filters said to remove 99.97 percent of mold, bacteria, pollen with a size of 0.3 microns or micrometres.
HEPA filters not designed for a home air conditioner unit, it is used specific for hospital operating rooms, chemical industry, food industry, portable residential air cleaners.etc.
The HEPA filters developed by United State Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) during World War II for the sole purposed of removing and capture radioactive particulate from escape and harm the surrounding environment. After World War II, HEPA filter was released to commercial and residential uses.
Here is HVAC filters video explaining how to and difference types of AC filters.
Make sure to press the Play button in the player controls to watch it. Enjoy!
HVAC video made by DrZarkloff
What is the difference between furnace air filters and air conditioner filters?
A homeowner asks this question, I might as well put here. There is no difference!
I have not worked on central air conditioner units that have air filters for furnace and difference air filter for an air conditioner system. How could it? The central air conditioning system has one distribution system.
I have seem a central air conditioner system has different air filter for each return duct for that specific distribution system. But not difference air filters for furnace unit and air conditioner units.
There are central air conditioner units that use pre-filter to remove larger particle for high efficiency air conditioner filters.
Some homeowner uses these terms interchangeable. You could refer to air conditioning filters are for summer and furnace filters are for winter. The location of air conditioner filters and furnace air filters are in the same slot.
This is how to change AC filters. Remember, Air conditioning units are the expensive appliances in a house and the most energy consumer item. By known how to replace your AC filters, you save money, energy, and health.
Purpose of an Air Conditioners Filters
The purpose of HVAC air filters may vary from individual need and want. HVAC air filters original purpose was to keep the indoor system parts from clogged with dusty and other foreign material.
How often should air conditioner filter be replaced?
We already know how to replace air conditioner filter, so how often should we replace it? Some people, HVAC (heat, ventilation, Air Conditioner) contractor, and technician suggests to replace it once a month.
This is the best ideas, if you live by yourself and the house a clean. But this is not good ideas if there is children, pet, and people in and out of the house often. Children tend to bring pollen, dusty, leaves, flower inside the house.
The best way to tell how often to replace air conditioner filters are by looking at it. Yes, I’m sorry if you expected it to be technical, but it not. For example, let said, there is a house occupies by five people, and the air filter start gets dirty every 2 months. Than that how often air conditioners filters should be replaced.
Use your own judgments when to replace it. Some residential air conditioner units need to be replacing every four weeks or twice a month. But each house is different, and you know your own house better.
