Air Filter or Air Cleaner?
There's Gold in Them Thar Hills! We have the skinny on how to get the pollen out of your house and relief in the door...
Pollen has hit in the 757, and if you are a person who has allergies, you're probably in varying degrees of misery. Not to worry, though, A-1 American Services has you covered. It's not so much about what is going on outside--although it has a large part to play, it's about what you are doing INSIDE your home, that is going to measure how you are going to feel.
What is the difference between an air filter and and air cleaner?
Most people think that Air Filters and Air Cleaners ar the same thing, and it's easy to understand the confusion. Here is a common breakdown of the difference between the two along with the PRO'S and CONS of each. Hopefully this will help you differentiate between the two and allow you to determine which would be best for your household and family's needs.
Air Filters - Pros and Cons
So when you're talking Air Filters, the main thing to keep in mind is that an Air Filter does exactly what it says it does. It filters the particles trapped in the air. The Oxford dictionary descibes it as: a device for filtering particles of dust, soot, etc., from the air passing through it, especially one protecting the air inlet of an internal combustion engine. For our intent, we will use an HVAC system filter. These can relied on to filter:
- pollen
- pet dander
- dust
- mold spores
The Main Kinds of Filters used in HVAC Systems Are as Follows:
- Pleated - most used and affordable. A pleated filter is what you see when you pull your air return vent down or out depending on placement in your home.
- Washable - same as pleated, but re-usable. A washable filter can last three times as long as a pleated filter. There is more of an upfront charge, but the savings weigh out.
- Bagged - made from synthetic material, these are used in home and commercial and generally regarded as useful for environments that need to eliminate fine particles.
The con with your average air filter is that is cannot get rid of pathogens like a virus, odors, or neutralize gases.
Air Cleaner - Pros and Cons
An Air Cleaner is often confused with an Air Filter, and for good reason. They both do essentially the same thing, BUT an Air Cleaner takes it a step further by utilizing advanced forms of filtration that REMOVE (or neutralize) the pollutants in the air. So it IS a filter, but it's a filter with super powers. Air Cleaners can filter what regular filters do PLUS:
- remove smoke and gases
- kill bacteria and viruses
- remove other pollutants such as chemicals
The Main Filters That Are Used With Air Cleaners Are:
- UV-C - kills bacteria and viruses
- Carbon - helps with gases and odors
- Electrostatic precipitators (say that three times fast!) - uses electric charges to clean the air
- HEPA - High Efficiency Articulate Air - According to the EPA, this type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).
- Ionizers - very similar to and electrostatic filter, only it charges the particles themselves.
Each of these has its own unique way of cleaning the air, it's up to you to determine what is the best for your family and home.
In summary, Air Filters are a relatively basic and inexpensive way to filter the larger particles/allergens from your home. Air Cleaners are more advanced and as such, the Con of an Air Cleaner is the initial cost is higher and there is also maintenance to consider.
How do i choose between an air filter or air cleaner?
There are several factors that determine the right choice for your home and family. Other than the obvious of what allergen, particle, odor, virus, you want to remove, the right filter/cleaner for you is also dependent upon these factors as well.
- Budget - how much can your wallet afford?
- Allergy - does someone in your home have allergies?
- Pets - a huge consideration because if you have a pet, chances are you will need to be extra viligant due to dander AND hair.
- Noise preference - dependent solely on your family's needs.
- Design - this is mainly aesthetic and a personal choice.
- Room Size - the size of the room determines the strength of how well the room (or home) will get clean.
If you need some additional input, you can always give the friendly Master Technicians at A-1 American Services a call, and they would be happy to help you!
30+ years of veterans proudly serving civilians and military alike in Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads!
God Bless America!
