The air filter is a major component of your HVAC system. It prevents airborne particles like dust and pollen from circulating through your home. Finding out what kind of air filter is right for you will help enhance your sense of comfort at home. For example, environmentally minded homeowners may prefer an electrostatic air filter. Typical filters can’t be recycled and are normally replaced every few months. Instead, an electrostatic filter can be rinsed off and used again.
What Is an Electrostatic Air Filter?
An electrostatic air filter is different from media filters, which are nonreusable. Media filters are pleated and use an extremely thick network of small fibers to capture 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 sucked into the filter and trapped. But because of the lack of fibers, electrostatic filters can be cleaned.
Washable air filters are recommended for people who want to reduce waste. When kept in good shape, an electrostatic filter can last you a very long time. Meanwhile, your typical furnace air filter should be replaced every few months. When furnaces can last for up to 20 years, that’s a lot of filters to throw out.
Do Electrostatic Air Filters Have a MERV Rating?
The MERV rating system is a great way to recognize how efficient an air filter is at collecting contaminants. The higher the filter’s MERV rating, the more effectively it works. Ratings are as high as 20, but these are reserved for advanced 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 usually more than sufficient for your home’s needs, but there are exceptions.
People with breathing complications or acute allergies might benefit from a stronger 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. Added filtration could also be worthwhile 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 key features of an electrostatic filter:
Reusable and simple to clean: Compared to pleated media filters, washable air filters are recyclable and reusable. All you need to do is thoroughly rinse them off. Leave enough time for them to dry completely and they can be inserted back in your HVAC system.
Long-lasting with consistent upkeep: To work at their maximum effectiveness, electrostatic filters should be washed each month. This is a brief process that offers long-term benefits. Washable air filters are highly resilient and can survive the lifetime of your HVAC system when well cared for.
Offers quality layer of protection: While HEPA filters or dedicated air filtration systems can offer strong results, that doesn’t mean other filters are insufficient. For your average home, an electrostatic filter is a superb option for eliminating 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 Ballwin and St. Charles. 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 suggest the ideal products you need to boost indoor air quality.