Benefits Of Using Efficient Air Conditioner Filters

An efficient air conditioner filter can protect your family from the health hazards associated with high dust levels, pollen, mold, bacteria and other harmful micro particles. Carbonized filters are additionally capable of removing unpleasant odors from the air, letting through, clean and healthy air supply.

Even though your loved ones deserve a clean, dust free atmosphere, they are not the only ones who need it. The Air conditioning unit can be adversely affected by dust, bacterial or fungal growth, or other impurities. Air conditioners have to work more to get the air through the settled layer of dust, so their efficiency drops. Your electricity bill will definitely rise, and chances are your air conditioning system will serviced earlier than it would otherwise. That is another reason why using an efficient air conditioner filter can be a very prudent decision.

Air conditioner filters have many different designs and efficiencies. Filters, if classified on the basis of their efficiency, fall under three broad categories: low efficiency air filters (filtering less than 30% of pollutants), medium efficiency filters (filtering between 30% to 50% pollutants), and high efficiency filters (filtering more than 50% of all pollutants). The classifications and certifications are done by ASHRAE, American Association of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers.

The commonly used ‘throw away’ filters have a meager 8% efficiency, holding them way too low in the efficiency index. No wonder industrial and commercial technicians refer to them as ‘bird and bug’ air filters. Their coarse filtering structure makes them unsuitable for any purpose beyond the protection of the air conditioning unit. Even so, their low cost makes them the standard choice among builders and installation engineers.

An efficient air filter can give you obvious advantages over the conventional fiberglass throw away filters. It guards you against health hazards and helps prevent discomforting allergies. Your home is the place where you want to remain in mental peace and comfort, and with such a filter in place, you can relax, sleep and be with your family in a healthier environment. Also, by reducing the amount of unwanted dust entering your home, you reduce the effort you put into home maintenance and care.

Efficiency in air filters comes at a surprisingly little extra cost. Fiberglass filters can be conveniently replaced by much more efficient pleated filters, which can provide 25-30% and with recent advances much higher efficiency. Electrostatic filters provide higher efficiencies, and if a family member is suffering from allergies, are particularly suitable.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can use a HEPA filter. Normally used by hospitals and research laboratories, these filters are more than 95% efficient. However, keep in mind that efficiency has its cost, the more dust that gets trapped inside a filter, the more often it has to be changed or cleaned. Also, highly efficient filters if left not cleaned, lead to other problems that may need to be addressed by a professional.