A filter is one of the essential parts of an air conditioner and an air purifier. It is responsible for cleaning out and disinfecting the air. They also help remove dust, pollen, smoke and even bacteria in some ACs to increase air quality inside your home.
The filters inside your AC also play a significant role in its efficiency and longevity. It is recommended you clean out your air filters every 4-6 months, depending on the use, to ensure dust does not build up on the filters, reducing the quality and efficiency of the air conditioner.
Types of Air Filters Used in ACs
There are many types of air filters used in modern-day air conditioners. Here are some of the most commonly used ones.
- Fibreglass Filters
These are the most common and inexpensive types of filters available, and they can catch most of the larger particles with a MERV rating of between 1 to 4.
These filters are a type of disposable filters as most of them are made to last only 30 days.
- Peated Air Filters
Peated air filters are much more durable and better than fibreglass filters. They can filter out microscopic elements like dust mites, pollen, dander and even bacteria. With a MERV rating of between 5 to 12, they are an excellent choice for people who suffer from allergies.
- Electrostatic Air Filters
Electrostatic filters differ from peated air filters because they use electricity to purify the air and remove dust particles. They are reusable and washable and can be used for heating and cooling.
Electrostatic filters have a few layers within them; when dirty air is passed through the first layer of ionisers, the charged ions emitted from the ionisers attract the dust particles, which get collected in the dust collector. There is a carbon filter at the end to catch any remaining particulates.
- Nano Silver Air Filters
Silver is widely known for its anti-bacterial properties. The nanosilver air filter has impeccable anti-bacterial properties as well. They utilise silver ions to sterilise the bacteria, effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
The silver kills the bacteria and further prevents the growth of bacteria, mould, viruses, and fungi. Research has shown that nano silver air filters can filter as many as 600 different types of bacteria.
Types of Air Purifiers
Air purifiers have become quite the rage ever since the advent of the pandemic. Air purifiers ensure you breathe bacteria-free and clean air inside your house. There are two main types of air purifiers.
- Active Air Purifiers
Active air purifiers rely on electricity to disinfect the air using ionisation. The negatively charged ions attract the dust and pollutants from the air to collect them in the dust filter. These types of air purifiers don’t rely on filters.
- Passive Air Purifiers
These air purifiers rely solely on filters to remove pollutants from the air and are usually very effective with it.
Types of Filters Used in Air Purifiers
- High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter ( HEPA )
HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air FIlter are some of the best filters in the world. This technology was developed during World War 2, and it was very famous as it could filter out radioactive particles from the air, which aided in saving the lives of soldiers.
Doctors usually recommend air purifiers with HEPA filters to patients with allergies. They are highly effective at removing dust, pollen, dander and microscopic bacteria.
- Catechin Filters
Catechin is one of the active ingredients in green tea. It belongs to the family of flavonoids and is an excellent anti-oxidant, boasting anti-bacterial and anti-dust properties.
Catechin can effectively eliminate foul odour from smoking and other free radicals in the air, and these filters are some of the most durable as they can last for over a decade.
- PM 2.5 Air FIlters
PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter in the air with a size of 2.5 microns or less. For perspective, the width of a human hair is 50 microns. Particulate matter of fewer than 10 microns can irritate the eyes and nose. On the other hand, fewer than 2.5 microns of particulate matter can lead to bronchitis and other respiratory problems.
The PM 2.5 air filters are designed to remove these particles from the air by using a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene ( PTFE ) which decreases friction.