The air filter is a key component of your HVAC system. It keeps airborne particles like dust and pollen from circulating through your home. Finding out what sort of air filter is right for you will help enhance your sense of comfort at home. For example, environmentally inclined homeowners may opt for an electrostatic air filter. Typical filters can’t be recycled and are normally replaced every couple of months. Instead, an electrostatic filter can be rinsed off and used again.
What Is an Electrostatic Air Filter?
An electrostatic air filter is distinct from media filters, which are nonreusable. Media filters are pleated and employ an extremely thick network of small fibers to trap airborne particles. While this design is successful, sooner or later the filter is clogged with contaminants. Instead, an electrostatic filter uses the attractive force of static electricity. Animal dander, mold spores and other contaminants are drawn into the filter and trapped. But because of the lack of fibers, electrostatic filters can be cleaned.
Washable air filters are ideal for people who hope to minimize waste. When kept in good shape, an electrostatic filter can last you a very long time. Meanwhile, your ordinary furnace air filter should be replaced every few months. When furnaces can live for up to 20 years, that’s a lot of filters to throw away.
Do Electrostatic Air Filters Have a MERV Rating?
The MERV rating system is an easy way to recognize how effective an air filter is at eliminating contaminants. The higher the filter’s MERV rating, the more effectively it works. Ratings are as high as 20, but these are reserved for specialized filters for medical and industrial use. Instead, a good average for residential air filters is between a 3 and a 6 MERV rating. These are typically more than enough for your home’s needs, but there are exceptions.
People with breathing problems or severe allergies may benefit from a more powerful residential filter like HEPA filters. A HEPA filter can eliminate up to 97% of airborne particles, keeping indoor air quality very high. These filters are regularly found in dedicated air filtration systems. Additional filtration could also be beneficial for the elderly and people with respiratory ailments.
Are Electrostatic Air Filters Better Than Disposable? A Comparison.
As you can see, there are benefits to using electrostatic air filters in your home. It just depends on reviewing your indoor air quality needs and making the ideal choice. Let’s review the main benefits of an electrostatic filter:
Reusable and simple to clean: Unlike pleated media filters, washable air filters are recyclable and reusable. All you have to do is properly rinse them off. Leave enough time for them to dry completely and they can be added back in your HVAC system.
Long-lasting with regular upkeep: To work at their peak effectiveness, electrostatic filters should be washed each month. This is a brief process that provides long-term benefits. Washable air filters are highly durable and can last the lifetime of your HVAC system when well cared for.
Offers excellent layer of protection: While HEPA filters or dedicated air filtration systems can offer solid results, that doesn’t mean other filters are insufficient. For your typical home, an electrostatic filter is a superb choice for removing airborne particles.
Improve Indoor Air Quality with Routine Maintenance and Cleaning
Keeping up with routine maintenance and thorough cleaning is a good way to optimize indoor air quality in Des Moines. It all depends on the unique conditions of your home as well as your family’s specific needs. Local, experienced technicians can help. They can recommend the ideal products you need to improve indoor air quality.