Your air conditioner comes with a standard air filter, but its job isn’t to improve your indoor air; rather, it is there to reduce the amount of dirt and dust in your system. To improve your indoor air quality, you’ll want to consider installing a whole-home air filtration system in your Westlake home. There are several types of air filters you can add to your HVAC system, and choosing one depends on your needs. To gain the benefits of any upgrade to your HVAC system, it’s important to schedule a professional installation. Westland Heating and Air Conditioning has the indoor air quality products and trained technicians to help you improve the comfort of your home, so call us today.
Types of Air Filters
There are two main types of whole-home air filters:
- Mechanical
- Electronic
Mechanical Air Filters
Mechanical air filters are very commonly used with HVAC systems; in fact, the standard air filter that comes with your system is a mechanical filter, but as mentioned above, it is not designed to filter the air. Mechanical filters are square-framed and have filter media inside that traps particles. The kind of particles a filter can trap depends on the material used and how tightly together the material is woven. The best way to determine how effective a particular mechanical filter will be is to check its MERV rating. Mechanical filters should be changed every 3 months to remain effective.
Electronic Air Filters
There are two types of electronic air filters:
- Ion Generators
- Electronic Precipitators
Both use electricity to capture particles, but each does this a little differently. An ion generator disperses negative ions into the air that attach themselves to particles; the ions are attracted to the surfaces in your home, like walls, counter tops and tables, and attach to them with the particles. When these surfaces are cleaned, the particles are also removed.
Electronic precipitators do a similar thing, but they are built differently. Rather than dispersing ions into the air, they draw particles inside it and into an area known as an ionization section. In the ionization section, these particles are charged; these newly-charged particles are then moved to an area in the precipitator where there are oppositely-charged metal ion plates. The charged particles are attracted to the ion plates, and are captured there. The plates need to be cleaned approximately every 3 months to remain effective.
Adding an air filtration system to your Westlake property can greatly improve your indoor air quality. If you are concerned about the quality of your indoor air, call Westland Heating and Air Conditioning and schedule an appointment.
