Do Air Conditioner Filters Really Work?

In its most basic form, an air filter is designed to remove impurities such as dust, pet dander, and even bacteria from the air that flows through the system. Not only does this improve the air quality inside your home, but it also protects your HVAC system from damage. When air enters the HVAC system, it is first heated or cooled and then pushed through the ducts that lead it to every room in the house. The HVAC filter cleans the air just before it enters through the fan and circulates through the ducts. As air passes through the filter, the material, usually cloth or pleated paper, traps any contaminants found in the air.

All air conditioners have a dust filter in the indoor unit. This traps dust from the air as it circulates, mainly to prevent it from obstructing internal functioning. Filtration generally occurs when spent air is returned to HVAC equipment for conditioning and distribution again. When air passes through the filter, the material removes particles and other contaminants from the air. To change the temperature in your home, the heating and air conditioning system draws air from a room, pulls it on coils to heat or cool it, and then blows warm air through the ducts to the other rooms in the house.

The air filter is placed at the point where air enters the system. It traps particles contained in the air that are absorbed by the air and prevents them from blocking the fan and clogging the coils. Clogged coils cannot heat or cool the air that passes over them and can damage the system. Therefore, an air filter helps the heating and cooling system do its job, keeps it running efficiently, and protects it so that it lasts longer. The downside of these filters is that they require the HVAC system to work a little harder to extract air through the unit, which can cause your HVAC system to lose efficiency sooner than expected.

Do Aftermarket Air Purifying Filters Work?

A quick look on the Internet shows several aftermarket air purifying filters for air conditioners, described as electrostatic, activated carbon, or the like.

Given its assembly, it seems likely that only part of the air will end up passing through the air purifying filter, while the rest will flow around it. For this reason, these filters are not recommended for people who have respiratory problems and need a filter that improves indoor air quality.

What Are Multimedia Filters?

An air cleaner is usually made of a spun fibreglass material or of pleated paper or cloth enclosed in a cardboard frame. Multimedia filters are very easy to maintain and are excellent for filtering bacteria and other small airborne contaminants.

Do I Need an Air Filter?

If you do not have adequate ventilation and air filters for purification, contaminants can accumulate inside. Some people need HVAC system filters that keep the air free of allergens and other contaminants, while others just need a basic filter to do their job.

If your home is well sealed, you don't have pets or dust-prone furniture such as carpets and cloth-covered furniture, and you clean and vacuum and dust every day, your air filters will need to accumulate fewer airborne particles. The opposite happens if you don't have an air filter or if your air filter is so dirty that it restricts airflow.

How Does Particle Capture Efficiency Work?

Particle capture efficiency actually increases as the filter becomes dirty; the build-up in fibers reduces openings through which air passes and allows for more particles to be captured. Standard MERV values range from 1 to 16; this number serves as an indicator of how well a filter will remove material from the air. This means that they can hardly be installed in split system or ducted household air conditioners, which often have to offer much greater airflow volumes than a specific air purifier.