Handyman Discusses A/C Filters
Before, people used air conditioning filters to protect their air conditioning and furnace equipment. That is still their main purpose, but they also purify the air in your house, and can even add a pleasant scent to it. By the way, it doesn't take a handyman to install them either.
Your heating and air conditioning system is most efficient when the air flow is at its peak. If your air conditining coil or ductwork is clogged, then the air flow will be poor, much like you trying to run a marathon with a barlap sack covering your nose and mouth. Your system would have to run longer to heat or cool the same amount of space.
The wise people who design air conditioning systems placed a filter at the spot where air enters to get rid of the gunk that might cause a clog.
If you don't use a filter or just leave a clogged one in long enough, the coil will get so stopped up that the air conditioning evaporator coil will freeze. Then you have to call a technician to make repairs. The cost will likely set you back more than the price of a lifetime's worth of cheap filters.
You can buy the cheapies for under $1 or you can spend several hundred dollars on filters that require electricity to operate.
The cheap filters are composed of either polyester or fiberglass, and can effectively protect the mechanical equipment, but they must be changed monthly, which is no big deal.
The next step up is a pleated cotton/polyester blend filter that should be changed every 90 days, according to the manufacturer. They sell for around $5.00 per filter. they cost a little more but last longer and trap more particles.
At the next highest notch in quality is a filter 30 times more efficient than fiberglass filters.
They can trap airborne allergens, including pet dander, mold spores, bacteria, dust, smoke, and smog particles. These are typically 90-day filters and cost $10-$15 each.
There are permanent and washable electrostatic filters that use electrically charged polypropylene and polyurethane filtration material that attracts airborne particles like a dog to its dinner.
These filters typically carry a lifetime warranty, but you still should clean them once per month.
Finally, there are electric filters that require good old electricity to operate. They are at the top of the food chain, costing several hundred dollars. Generally, the more you spend, the better the filter.
Installing a basic filter can be accomplished by any third-grader not afraid of standing on a ladder. Unclip the grate at the intake register, remove the old filters, and stick the new ones in. Pay attention to the arrow on the frame of the filter as it tells you the direction of the air flow.