How Do Air Cleaners Work?

Low indoor air quality poses a major health threat in the U.S. today, especially since Americans spend approximately 85% of their time indoors. One of the best solutions for improved indoor air quality is to ventilate a house with open windows and doors for a few hours. However, this is not always an option, especially in a city like Scottsdale, which often experiences blistering hot days. Letting this much heat enter your home also puts tremendous strain on your AC.

However, there are methods to improve your indoor air quality with upgrades to your HVAC system. At Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning, we recommend our customers look into installing air cleaners into their ductwork. These devices filter the air passing from your air conditioner (and heater) to remove the contaminants that may enter it, such as dirt, dust, pollen, dander, bacteria, and residue from construction. There are two main types of air cleaners, and we’ll go over how they work. Call Goettl Air Conditioning for more information about air cleaners in Scottsdale, AZ.

Mechanical Filters

The basic air cleaner catches particles in a filter. The most common type of filter is the HEPA filter, which is composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibers, usually made of fiberglass strands between 0.5 and 2.0 microns. These filters do not work like strainers however, where some particles are stopped while others are allowed to flow through. The HEPA filters instead catch even smaller particles, down to 0.3 microns, through a process where particles that pass within one radius of a fiber will adhere to it. Although HEPA filters can stop most physical particles from passing through, they are not effective at stopping gas and odor molecules.

Electronic Filters

The next level up from mechanical filters are the electronic filters, which can catch particles down to 0.1 microns and can affect smoke, gas, and even bacteria that would otherwise escape a mechanical filter. Electronic filters work through static charges. The fibers of an electronic filter generate a strong static charge as air passes through them. This positively charges the particles in the air, and when those particles pass through a layer in the filter with negatively charged fibers, they are drawn toward them and trapped.

Find The Right Filter

Which type of filter should you have installed? It depends on the sort of contaminants in your home (and there’s certainly nothing preventing you from having both installed). Call in an indoor air quality specialist from Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning to see what sort of air cleaners will provide the most benefit for your home, and then rely on our team to properly install them. Make us your choice for improving your indoor air quality in Scottsdale, AZ with air cleaners.