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.

Helps Relieve Allergy Problems
Exposure to common allergens, including mold, pollen, pet dander and dust, is reduced when you use an electrostatic air filter. If you have asthma, allergies, or other respiratory problems, you’ll notice a lot less irritation and fewer episodes

Electrostatic Air Filters Are Economical
These filters help keep your air conditioner coils and the components in your furnace from collecting dirt and dust. That dust is the single most common cause of heating and cooling system failure. If your system is cleaner, it’ll have a longer life and be more efficient, meaning that you’ll use less energy and need to repair your furnace less often. Also, unlike conventional filters, electrostatic furnace filters never have to be replaced. While they cost more to install initially, you’ll save in the long run by not replacing dirty disposable filters.

Cleaning Your House Gets Easier
Since the electrostatic filter collects dust effectively, less of it gets out to settle throughout your home. That means less dusting, easier vacuuming, and a generally less bothersome time keeping your house clean.

Electrostatic Air Filters Are Environmentally Friendly
Filters you never have to replace are filters you never throw away, and that’s a lot friendlier to the environment. Reducing waste is a common concern in many countries, and these filters are one way to cut down on the amount of trash you throw out. The landfills will thank you.

Easy Maintenance
To make sure that your filter does its job correctly, there is a little work required. However, all you have to do to maintain furnace efficiency is give the filter a cleaning once a month. This can be done by vacuuming the heaviest buildup off the filter’s surface. Then, lay your filter flat and spray with detergent on both sides. Spray the filter with water, turn it over, and repeat until the water isn’t dirty anymore. Just let your electrostatic furnace filter drip dry, and put it back in your heating and cooling system to continue providing you with clean, high quality air.

Regular maintenance such as cleaning and replacing your air filter is essential for preventing your furnace or air conditioner efficiency from declining. Using an efficient pleated air filter will also help to reduce the build up of dust particles in the fan motor and on the evaporator. The relatively small cost of replacement air filters can potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair bills later.

There are a number of benefits for your home when you choose a pleated furnace filter. Just as any other furnace filter, you will want to monitor pleated furnace filters for any blockage and change them regularly according to the manufacturer’s directions.

The assortment of types of pleated air filters can be confusing because quality, efficiency and material used vary greatly. There are some pleated air filters that contain a wire mesh on one side of the filter in order to help maintain the filters shape and prevent the filter from collapsing over time from air passing through it continuously. There are some higher-efficiency filters that do not have this wire mesh since the material that they are manufactured with is strong enough to withstand the pressure put on them from air flow.

Electrostatic pleated air filters are a high end pleated filter and are typically more efficient at removing allergens and dust from the air as it passes through your heating and cooling unit. If you suffer from allergies this type of filter is a good choice. For those who don’t worry about household dust or allergens, a less expensive pleated air filter will do.

For those who are environmentally conscientious, you can avoid replacing disposable pleated furnace filters with a higher one time cost lifetime electrostatic filter that just requires regular cleaning to maintain it’s effectiveness. For some, not only is this a better choice for the environment, but it also eliminates the hassle of going out to find replacement filters when the time comes to change them.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the
worm; Life isn’t always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended
from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental
consent to administer sun lotion or an Elastoplast to a student; but
could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to
have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in
her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his
wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He
is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want it Now,
Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you
still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do
nothing.

It’s not just the copper refrigeration lines that these thieves are after, the copper or aluminum condenser coil has some value also or maybe they need a new condensing unit for their own home.

To reduce the likelihood of someone stealing your air conditioner take these simple precautions.

• When you have the unit installed try to avoid long pipe runs outside the building. Have all piping enter your home as soon as possible, leaving a minimum amount of pipe outside. You should be able to keep pipe runs outside to less than four feet. By reducing the length of pipe outside you reduce the perceived dollar value available to anyone scoping out your neighborhood.

Many times these units are placed on stands or on the ground and nothing more is done. At the very least they should be placed on patio slabs. Not doing this just shows poor workmanship on the part of the contractor. Condensing units tend to vibrate and can move, stressing refrigeration and electrical lines.

• Use bolts to secure the condenser to the stand that it sits on. All condensers should be bolted down but often they are not. There are bolt holes in the bottom of most condensing units for this purpose. If the unit sits on patio slabs, use concrete anchors to hold the unit in place. If the unit sits on a stand, bolt the unit to the stand and put patio slabs under each leg of the stand and then bolt the legs of the stand to the patio slabs. For added protection, round the corners of the bolts so they can’t be removed with a wrench. Patio slabs weigh about 60 to 70 pounds each, thats a lot of extra weight to move around.
• Use heavy mesh material to cover the condenser coil openings. This will prevent the condenser coil from being cut out of the unit. Use material which has large openings so that air flow through the condenser will not be affected. You also have to be very careful not to puncture the condenser tubes with screws. This will cost you.
  
• When you have the system installed, make sure the contractor uses an electrical disconnect switch that can be locked. If the power cannot be turned off from the outside it will be less appealing to criminals.
• Have the equipment installed in a well lit area or near a light with a motion sensor. Anybody going near the unit will cause the light to come.

These guys like to get in and out as fast and quietly as possible so anything you can do to make things more difficult and risky the less likely they are to even attempt to steal from you. These steps may not stop all thieves but the smart ones will move on and the dumb ones will be more likely to get caught.

Five Signs Of Trouble:

1.Evaporator Coil Ices Up
2.Long Run Times
3.Poor Air Flow From The Vents
4.Collapsing Filters
5.Unit Stops Cooling For No Apparent Reason

The Evaporator Ices Up Every Couple Of Months Or Even More Often

This is a common problem with air conditioning equipment and is related to air flow or low load conditions. Air conditioners are designed to have a minimum amount of air flow for each ton of cooling. When air flow falls below design requirements the evaporator coil can ice up. If you are experiencing this problem you can use a slightly less efficient air filter. If this is only a problem every few months then all you need to do is change the filter in you air conditioner more frequently.

Long Run Time Means More Energy Consumption

This is a problem that you may or may not be aware of. If better air quality is more important than slightly higher operating costs then ignore this one, unless you are also experiencing symptom number one also. The solution to this problem is more frequent filter changes or a less efficient filter.

Poor Air Flow From The Vents

Assuming you have a properly sized duct system that has balanced air flow to all rooms you should feel the same amount of air coming from all vents. If you notice that air flow from the vents that are the farthest from the main duct line or on other floors begins to decline as filter change time approaches then you should consider changing your filter more often or using a less efficient filter.

Collapsing Filters

This can happen when filters are in the system too long and they become so dirty and restrict air flow so badly that they actually are sucked right out of the filter rack. More durable filters will stay in the filter rack and cause the same symptoms as number one above. The solution is to change filters more often, use better quality filters or both.

Unit Stops Cooling

Some air conditioner manufacturers install Freeze Stats in air handlers to prevent problems with icing up. When the evaporator temperature becomes too low, a thermostat will open and not allow the compressor to operate. When the evaporator temperature returns to its normal range the thermostat closes and the unit returns to normal operation.

These are some of the most common problems that you may encounter with your air conditioner. The solution to these problems is to change your air conditioner filter regularly as recommended by the manufacturer. If following manufacturer guidelines does not correct the problem then you may want to consider a filter that has less of an impact on air flow.

Indoor Air Pollution Can Be More Of A Health Risk Than Outdoor Pollution

You probably know that outdoor air pollution can effect your health but did you know that indoor air pollution can also have a negative impact on your health. Studies of human exposure to air pollution indicate that indoor levels of many pollutants may be 2-5 times higher (and often many times higher) than outdoor levels. These levels are a concern because the average person spends as much as 90 percent of their time indoors.

The Key Sources Of Indoor Air Pollution

• Biological pollutants: These are living organisms like mold, bacteria and dust mites.
• Chemical pollutants: These are gases and particles that come from combustion appliances, tobacco smoke, household products, personal care products, various building materials and outdoor air.

The reason for the decline in indoor air quality in today’s homes is a direct result of our efforts to be energy efficient. As we strive to build better homes that are increasingly energy efficient, we also create an environment susceptible to these indoor air quality problems. The air in our homes is recycled many times over, often with fresh air entering only when we open doors or windows.

There are many things that contribute to indoor pollution. Some of the common pollutants in homes are dust, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, smoke and fumes from household products. These pollutants can be caused by such simple tasks as cooking, bathing, or heating the home. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce pollution and to improve indoor air quality.

Often, it is difficult to determine which pollutants are the source of poor health, or even if poor indoor air quality is the problem. Common symptoms of exposure to high indoor pollution levels include; headaches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, itchy nose, and scratchy throat. More serious effects are asthma and other breathing disorders.

Many indoor air pollution sources cannot be detected by our senses and the symptoms they produce can be vague, making it hard to attribute them to a specific cause. Some pollutants may take weeks or even months to produce symptoms, making it even harder to discover the cause.

Children and senior citizens are even more susceptible to indoor pollution. Children because of their developing systems and seniors because of their advanced age and weaker immune systems.

Millions of people are affected by asthma each year. A recent study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine concluded that by controlling biological contaminants asthma cases could be reduced by as much as 55 to 60 percent. It is prudent to try to improve indoor air quality in your home even if there are no symptoms of poor health.

Some of the steps that you can take to reduce indoor pollution are easily implemented and many don’t even require hiring a contractor.

• Furnace filters and air conditioner filters remove many of the airborne contaminants that have a negative impact on indoor air quality. They come in many different designs and efficiencies and can be easily installed in your heating or cooling system. The best designs are over 90% efficient.
• Humidifiers can be installed in your heating or cooling system to maintain desirable humidity levels, or you can purchase stand-alone units that will serve your needs.
• Dehumidifiers also serve a useful purpose. If your basement or other areas of your home have high humidity problems, a dehumidifier can correct these problems and maintain levels between 30 and 50 percent.
• Ventilation equipment and air exchangers can have a major impact on indoor air quality. With proper ventilation indoor pollution can be greatly reduced but it is critical that this equipment is properly installed and maintained for it to work properly.

Gas and oil furnaces, like all heating and air conditioning equipment, are designed to have a certain amount of air flow at all times to operate properly and at highest efficiency. This air flow is measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). These appliances have a heat exchanger which has the heat source, flame, inside and the air passes over the heat exchanger on the outside. As the air passes over the heat exchanger it picks up the heat from the flame inside.

To get maximum efficiency from these systems the walls of the heat exchanger are made as thin as possible but not so thin that they cannot withstand the heat that they are subjected to during normal operation. This brings us back to the fact that these appliances are designed with minimum air flow requirements.

A furnace filter that remains in the system so long that it begins to negatively impact air flow can be dangerous. As the amount of air flowing over the heat exchanger declines, the operating temperature of the heat exchanger increases. This is when heat exchanger can crack because they are operating above design conditions. The hotter the heat exchanger gets the more it expands when heating and contracts as it cools during the off cycle. This expanding and contracting can become excessive and cause the metal of the heat exchanger warp or crack. A cracked heat exchanger can cause combustion gases to mix with the air in your home.

The good news is that properly designed furnaces have high limit switches that prevent excessive heating of the heat exchanger. These limit switches monitor the temperature at or near the heat exchanger and if the temperature reaches a predetermined set point, the unit will be shut off either until manually reset or until the limit switch senses that the temperature is within safe limits and resets automatically.

A furnace can operate a long time on an auto reset limit switch without anybody even knowing. This means that the furnace is operating at the limits of its design capabilities. Today most limit switches are the manual reset type, designed this way so that the furnace will not operate until it is serviced and the problem corrected.

Don’t rely on these safety switches to protect you from disaster. These are mechanical devices which can and do fail to operate properly at times. So reduce your risk by maintaining your furnace filter properly. This means cleaning or changing your furnace filter regularly. It is always best to follow manufacturers guidelines.

There are really no easy answers to these questions because there are so many variables to consider. What type of filter do you use? Is the filter for air conditioning or heating? Where do you live? Do you have allergies? Are you trying to control dust?

What Type Of Furnace Filter Do You Use?

If you use a furnace filter that is very inefficient such as fiberglass disposable filters, you can get away with only changing these filters at the beginning of each heating season. I have done this myself. These filters are very inefficient and it takes a long time for the filter to become plugged with dust. However these filters are so inefficient that I don’t recommend using them.

Is The Filter For Heating Or Air Conditioning?

This is an important question because an inefficient filter in an air conditioning system will allow dust to collect on the evaporator which will eventually need to be cleaned. This is best avoided because nobody wants to call a service guy if it can be avoided.

For this reason it is best to choose a more efficient filter for your air conditioner. Some suitable choices for an air conditioner filter would be pleated filters, electrostatic filters and media air filters. The more efficient your air filter is then the more often it will have to be cleaned or replaced. If not properly maintained they can cause restrictions to air flow and lead to operating problems.

Where Do You Live?

If you live in an area where there is a lot of construction or where the roads are not paved then you should change your furnace filter at least every two months. If you live in a relatively dust free area then every three or four months should be sufficient.

Do You Have Allergies?

If you have allergies then you should be using a relatively efficient furnace filter. A pleated filter with a high MERV rating or an electrostatic filter. HEPA filters are the most efficient but can cause too much restriction to air flow which leads to other problems.

Are You Trying To Control Dust?

If dust control is high on your list then you will want to use one of the more efficient furnace filters or air conditioner filters. As mentioned earlier, the more efficient the filter is then the more often it will have to be changed or cleaned.

Furnace filters and air conditioner filters should be changed every one to four months depending on your individual situation. The more efficient the furnace filter is then the more often it should be changed. Once you have been doing your filter changes or maintenance for some time you will begin to know how often it is necessary to change it. Follow manufacturers recommendations and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Electrostatic Air Filters

Electrostatic air filters help filter dust and other elements from the air without restricting the passage flow of your air conditioner or furnace. This can allow your heating system to work more efficiently to either cool or heat your home. Electrostatic air filters collect dust and various particles by emitting a static charge. This charge attracts the contaminants, allowing clean air to flow into your home.

Media Air Filters

Used most often by businesses that must change their air filters frequently, media air filters have a greater capacity than other furnace filters. However, while these type of filters can efficiently remove large particles from the air, they are less efficient at filtering smaller particles such as viruses and respirable dust.

Pleated Air Filters

Pleated air filters are regarded as one of the best-performing and high-efficiency filter types. Their design allows these type of filters to increase their surface area and lengthen their lifespan. They can easily capture and remove most contaminants from the air while their construction allows your air conditioning and heating system to operate efficiently.

HEPA Air Filters

In order to qualify as a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, the filter must be capable of removing 99.97% of all contaminants 0.3 microns or larger. This includes mold spores and dust particles. Designed with an efficient pleat construction, these air filters are costly and most often used in one-room environments (as opposed to a home or large building). These filters are effective for people who suffer from allergies or asthmatic symptoms.

Activated Carbon Air Filters

Activated carbon filters are highly-effective for removing odors from your home. Once allowed entry to your home, cigarette smoke, gas, chemicals and other odors can permeate a household and often be difficult to remove. This can be both annoying to those living in the home and even harmful to those with severe asthma. An activated carbon filter uses a system of tiny pores. Highly-absorbent, these pores attract particles by forming a chemical bond with the contaminants in the air.

Benefits Of Using Furnace Filters

There are several reasons why you should consider using an efficient furnace air filter. First, you want to breathe clean air while inside your home. Second, a good air filter will allow your air conditioning and heating system to operate efficiently, saving you money on heating bills and making you more comfortable at the same time. Third, a good air filter can remove particles and contaminants from the air you breathe. Breathing these elements over a long period of time is unhealthy. Finally, if you or someone in your household suffers from asthma or allergies, an air filter can be used to relieve much of that discomfort. Consider buying an furnace air filter for your home as soon as possible.