What Are Air Filters?

The quality of air that we breathe is very important for our health. Sometimes, pollution in the form of dust, particulates, mold, pollen, and bacteria from air accumulate so much that they enter the lungs and cause havoc to the respiratory system. Thus, a device such as that of an air filter has been invented. An air filter is a machine that removes contaminants from air that passes through it. Air filter is installed in ventilation systems and in engines such as gas compressors, internal combustion engines, gas turbines, and diving air compressors among others. Aircrafts, buildings, as well as other man-made structures like satellites and space shuttles, use mechanical air filter, which consists of: foam, synthetics, cotton, and paper.

Air filter is very effective in removing pollutants from air so that the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association endorsed its used for those who have asthma and allergies.

As mentioned previously, mechanical air filter is one type of air filter. This filter functions by moving air towards a special screen and removing pollen, dust mites, and allergens. Even tobacco smoke is capable of being screened by the filter. Another type of filter is the electronic filter. This utilizes electrical charges to absorb and trap allergens and irritants. On the other hand, a filter that has both elements of mechanical and electrostatic filters is called the hybrid filter. Gas phase filters trap non-particulate pollution such as gases from paint or building materials and perfume. Gas from smoking gas is also removed by this device. The disadvantage of a gas filter is in its inability to screen and remove allergens. A device that inherently makes ozone is called the ozone generator. However, both the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association do not recommend this type of filter.

In order to determine which air filter is best suited for your use, you must first clarify what your needs are. You must at least know why you are buying an air filter. A second consideration in choosing the right air filter would be the area where the filter would be installed.

In general, these are the following features to think about before choosing a filter: power sources, warranty, cost, size, layers of filtration media, square footage covered, anti-microbial media core, ease of filter removal, noise level, frequency of cleaning, efficiency percentage for both small and large particles.

You may not know this, but the heating and air conditioning system is kept clean by air filters. Air filters should be built into the air handling system if your house is either heated or air conditioned. A system that covers the whole house at the same time saves space. You could also prevent having extra noise in the house. Now, check to see if your air filter has a Minimum Efficiency Rating Value of 1-12. This is the standard for residential filters. You must clean your filter on a regular basis. You may change the filter monthly, but you could buy one that lasts for three months. Changing the filter should also be done every change of season.