Electrostatic Air filters clean the air with the help of static electricity which is an absolutely safe phenomenon. To generate the electricity, maze static fibers are deployed. During the mechanism, particles in the air are sucked in and trapped through the static charge, released only after washing.
There are various benefits of Electrostatic Air filters and we will discuss one by one in detail
Easy and Quick –One of the biggest benefits of an electrostatic filter is that it is the cleanest way in which you can purify the air. At the same time, it is a quick way of purifying the air.
Removes Tiniest of the Microns – These filters are very powerful and efficient. If you are looking for one smart Air filter that can trap even the smallest micron, then electrostatic Air filter is perfect for you. The air we breathe will have particles such as dust, mold, spores, pet dander and so on. These particles will be as small as ten microns. For such tiny particles, you will need a powerful Air filter and therefore electrostatic is best.
Cleaning of Electrostatic Air Filter – Electrostatic air filters are easy to clean and if done regularly, these filters are good enough to perform for many years. However, if you are not cleaning the electrostatic filters properly and regularly then it might give you hard time. The effectiveness of the filter will come down because of the dust piled up which will block proper flow of the air. An ideal time to clean the filter is 4-6 months.
Filtering Capacity or Arrestance – Electrostatic filters have a very high filtering capacity. Usually, the Air filters come in two arrestance capacity which is 94% or 82%. As the percentage suggests, electrostatic filter with the 94% arrestance level have the higher filtering capacity and one with 82% arrestance level will underperform the former. The filter with 94% arrestance capacity, however, will be more restrictive compared to the lesser arrestance capacity filter. You should go for the 82% arrestance filter if the square footage of the filter is less than the tonnage of the unit. If you are not able to select which filter to use then it would be easier to ask the vendor and decided accordingly.
The first step to follow while cleaning the filter is removing it and it is pretty much same with all types of filters and not just the electrostatic filter. You have to take proper care while washing the filter. Make sure that you flush the filter with the water on the opposite direction in order to clean it. There are various cleaners which you can purchase from the market to clean the air filter effectively. These cleaners will be effective in cleaning the filter effectively and can wash away the harsh stains as well.
Once you have washed the filter thoroughly and drained the water, allow it to dry properly. Do not reinstall the damp air filter because it will enable growth of fungi in the filter leaving the machine of no use. After the Air filter has dried thoroughly, you can reinstall it and start using.
Using two Electrostatic Air filters- There are a lot of confusion whether you can use two electrostatic air filters at a time or just one would be fine. A lot of people have two electrostatic filters and they use it alternatively. Say, you have washed one filter and kept it too dry. Meanwhile, you can use the second filter so that there the clean air which you are breathing inside the home does not pollute due to not using the filter for the specific time. However, many of us use the filter simultaneously for air conditioning.
It is important to understand that although using the filters together is possible, there will be some affect on the air filtering system and the airflow will be restricted. If the air flow is restricted then there could be following problems:
Icing on the Evaporate Coils- If the air is not passed properly, then there will be icing on the coil which will further block the proper flow of air.
Bad quality of air circulation – It would be challenging for the air filter to cover the whole room because the air passed will be very less.
Higher operating cost as the filters will run for longer time – Since the run time of the Air filter will be longer, it will increase the cost of the operation
Wear and Tear on the equipment will increase due to longer run time – The machine will be used more and it will result is depreciation at much faster rate compared to normal run time.
Restricted Airflow in the furnace will also cause various issues such as broken heat exchangers, drop in efficiency, need of more fuel as the machine will run for longer time and drop in efficiency.