Air Conditioning Filter in the residential or commercial HVAC is used to remove solid contaminants such as smoke, pollen, dust, grease and pollen to ensure better air quality for the occupants. Basically air filter is a device that removes impurities form the indoor air through a straining process. AC filters are usually placed on the return air of the Air conditioning system. The air that contained the contaminants are trapped here. Clean air is then discharged into the space together with the cool air.
Types of Air Conditioning Filter
- Plastic mesh filters
- Electrostatic air filters
- Carbon and Adhesive filters
The ability of the filters to trap particles is measured by using the industry standard known as MERV or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The values ranges from 1 to 20 and can trap particles sizes from 0.3 microns to 10 microns. The higher the value, the better it is able to trap smaller particles.
Most Residential & Commercial applications usually ranges from 1 to 12 with MERV 12 able to trap particles from 1 to 3 microns. Some industrial, healthcare & other highly specialized applications use MERV 16 to MERV 20.
A dirty air filter restricts the flow of cold air, causing it to build up inside the air conditioner and lower the internal temperature wich isn't good for your air conditioner's cooling power.