Choosing the Best Air Filters for Your Home
People do not have control over the quality of air outdoors, some places are abundant in fresh air while other places have polluted air. However, the air indoors can be controlled through air filters. Having a inferior indoor-air quality does not just pose health problems among family members, it costs a large amount of money as well. Some of the unpleasant effects of low indoor-air quality are allergies, sick-building symptoms, asthma, and communicable respiratory problems. These are often caused by foreign objects and pollutants present in the air like organic compounds, allergens, respirable particles, dust, microorganism, and smoke. Although most people think that the air they breathe in their homes is safe, it could very well be more contaminated then the air outdoors. Fortunately, there are now different types of home air filters that people can choose from. Not only will these air filters clean the indoor air, but they would also help decrease your energy expenses.
There are different types of filters for the home available in the market today, each focused on particular aspect of cleaning the air indoors. The key in choosing the right filter is knowing the main categories of the things that contaminate the air. The three most common are particulates or particulate matter, microbes, and gaseous contaminates. Particulates are microscopic things that are not usually seen with the naked eye, these include dusts and other tiny pieces. Microbes on the other hand include biological elements like germs, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses. The microbes weaken the immune system of the people breathing the air, often causing illness. Third is the gaseous contaminates that come in the form of vapor. These are often emitted by beauty and cosmetic products like nail polish, fumes like gasoline, and home cleaning products like liquid detergents or so. Knowing the type of air pollutants one wants to get rid of will help in deciding which air filters would be the best choice.
Here are some types of air filters:
Standard Air Filter - Removes 10% of the pollutants, made of fiberglass and cardboard frames, must be changed monthly.
Electrostatic Filter - Uses electric charge to eliminate the dirt particles in the air and attract it to the filters, have a built-in electric charge, a little bit pricey than standard filters, must be changed annually.
Electronic Air Cleaner - Works in the same way as the Electrostatic Filter but is more expensive, attached on air conditioners, and checking the coils monthly is recommended.
Pleated Air Filter - Cleans 35-40% of the air, made with filter material that are pleated back and forth, slightly expensive compared to the standard filter, usually lasts between two to four months.
Absorber Filter - Deals with odor control indoors, eliminates foul smell including smoke from cooking, pet odors, cigarette smoke indoors, and more.
UV Eliminator Filter - An advanced filter that traps large air contaminants like pollen and molds, uses UV light to sterilize the air.
These are just some of the home air filters types. Remember that knowing the kind of pollutants that one needs to eliminate is necessary in deciding which filter is the most appropriate.
There are different types of filters for the home available in the market today, each focused on particular aspect of cleaning the air indoors. The key in choosing the right filter is knowing the main categories of the things that contaminate the air. The three most common are particulates or particulate matter, microbes, and gaseous contaminates. Particulates are microscopic things that are not usually seen with the naked eye, these include dusts and other tiny pieces. Microbes on the other hand include biological elements like germs, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses. The microbes weaken the immune system of the people breathing the air, often causing illness. Third is the gaseous contaminates that come in the form of vapor. These are often emitted by beauty and cosmetic products like nail polish, fumes like gasoline, and home cleaning products like liquid detergents or so. Knowing the type of air pollutants one wants to get rid of will help in deciding which air filters would be the best choice.
Here are some types of air filters:
Standard Air Filter - Removes 10% of the pollutants, made of fiberglass and cardboard frames, must be changed monthly.
Electrostatic Filter - Uses electric charge to eliminate the dirt particles in the air and attract it to the filters, have a built-in electric charge, a little bit pricey than standard filters, must be changed annually.
Electronic Air Cleaner - Works in the same way as the Electrostatic Filter but is more expensive, attached on air conditioners, and checking the coils monthly is recommended.
Pleated Air Filter - Cleans 35-40% of the air, made with filter material that are pleated back and forth, slightly expensive compared to the standard filter, usually lasts between two to four months.
Absorber Filter - Deals with odor control indoors, eliminates foul smell including smoke from cooking, pet odors, cigarette smoke indoors, and more.
UV Eliminator Filter - An advanced filter that traps large air contaminants like pollen and molds, uses UV light to sterilize the air.
These are just some of the home air filters types. Remember that knowing the kind of pollutants that one needs to eliminate is necessary in deciding which filter is the most appropriate.