Air Conditioner Filters: In with the Bad, Out With the Good

Air conditioner filters are many splendored things. They are responsible for taking the dust and the dirt out of the air you breathe. They also help your air conditioners be more efficient at cooling your environment. An inferior air conditioner filter cools down air poorly and decreases the life span of the unit.

There are five main kinds of filters. They are:

Standard air conditioner filter: These air conditioner filters are made of spun fiberglass and cardboard frames. These filters remove ten percent of the airborne pollutants. There is an oily resin coating the fibers to help the particles adhere to the fiberglass as the air circulates. Larger particles rather than smaller particles are removed when you use these filters. They do not filter harmful allergens and contaminants well. It is recommended that you change standard fiberglass filters once a month.

Pleated air conditioner filter: This air conditioner filter is also made of fiberglass but the filter media is folded back and forth forming pleats. The pleats make these air conditioner filters have a larger surface area than standard filters. These filters remove thirty-five to forty percent of the airborne particles. Pleated air conditioner filters are slightly more expensive than standard filters but they do not need to be replaced as often. These filters only need to be replaced once every three months.

Electrostatic air conditioner filter: The filter media of this air conditioner filter has an electric charge that attracts contaminants. They either have built in electrostatic charges or create a charge from the air moving through the system. Electrostatic air conditioner filters remove ninety percent of airborne particles and cost from thirty to a hundred dollars. These filters should be replaced every three months.

HEPA air conditioner filter: HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. This air conditioner filter traps ninety-nine point nine seven percent of the contaminants in your environment like fibers, dust, smoke, and pet dander. They even trap particles 1/300th the width of a human hair.

Electronic air conditioner filter: These are like electrostatic filters but more effective. These air conditioner filters use a fan to trap up to ninety-five percent of the particles in an electrostatic precipitator. These filters are recommended to people who suffer from allergies.

One thing to consider when you are deciding between the different types of air conditioner filters is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). This is a number from one to sixteen that is relative to the air filter efficiency. The higher the MERV, the more efficient the air filter is at removing particles. If a filter has a MERV of fourteen, that is a hospital grade air conditioner filter. Also take into consideration that the higher the MERV, the more resistance to airflow because the filter media becomes denser as the efficiency increases. For the cleanest air, you should choose a unit with the highest MERV possible but also one that allows your unit to force air through it.