A whole-house air cleaner/filtration system can make a drastic difference in the quality of the air you breath in your home. This is even more important in today’s energy-efficient, tightly sealed homes, as chemicals, dust and other irritants get trapped indoors with you.
If you are considering the purchase and installation of a whole-house air cleaner and filtration system, you may be wondering what options are available to you. Here are a few of the more common choices:
- Flat or Pleated Filters – You’re probably already familiar with these inexpensive filters, as they are the type commonly found inserted in forced-air furnaces. While they do provide you with minimal air cleaning, they are really designed to protect your furnace from the build-up of dust and dirt. Unless you opt for the pleated variety, which has more surface area to capture airborne particulates, these won’t do much to improve indoor air quality.
- Extended Media Filters – these are basically a large number of flat filters stacked together. They do provide more effective air cleaning. However, unless your furnace already has been modified to fit these thicker (around 8 inches) filters, you’ll have to pay to have your furnace retrofitted.
- Electronic Filters – Generally referred to as air cleaners or purifiers, these are also called electrostatic precipitators. As air passes through the air cleaner, particles are electrically charged. At the other end, the air passes a metal plate that has an opposite charge and the particles stick to it. This is a highly effective whole-house air cleaner/filtration system, as it removes smoke and other tiny particles from the air.
- Ultraviolet Light Systems – These are usually used in conjunction with another filtration or air cleaning system as they do not actually remove particles from the air. Instead, they kill microorganisms, such as mold, viruses and bacteria, that pass under the lights. They’re either installed in your ductwork, or positioned to shine directly on A/C or heat pump coils.
If you have more questions about whole-house air cleaners/filtration systems or would like to schedule a consultation to see which option might best fit your home’s unique structure and needs, please contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We have been keeping residents in and around Fresno comfortable in their homes with professional heating and air conditioning service and maintenance for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air cleaners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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