When it comes to air filtration, energy efficiency is a major factor to consider. With the right filter, you can enjoy the benefits of high-efficiency filtration without having to pay more for energy consumption or damaging your air conditioning equipment. In this article, we'll explore the different types of air filters, their advantages and applications, and how to determine the life cycle of your filter to achieve greater efficiency and long-term cost savings. The Energy Star certification is a great indicator of an air purifier's energy efficiency. A study revealed several important facts about HVAC filtration.
It showed that high-efficiency filters had a negligible impact on HVAC energy compared to low-efficiency fiberglass filters. This means that high-efficiency 3M filters can provide excellent filtration without causing additional energy consumption. Air filters play an important role in our indoor environment. They protect the occupants and equipment of a building from the effects of poor indoor air quality, dust, particles and contaminants. Just as important, they protect your air conditioning system from unnecessary maintenance and malfunction. Installing inefficient air filters can cost you money in the form of wasted energy, additional maintenance costs, damaged equipment, and unproductive workers.
There are many types of air filters on the market, but the most cost-effective isn't always the cheapest. Many people only consider the starting price as a factor when buying an air filter, but the real cost of using an air filter in the long term is where the real cost comes into play. The most common high-efficiency air filters are pocket filters, HEPA filters, and electrostatic filters. Pocket filters are generally used as final filters in commercial applications or as prefilters in pharmaceutical or hospital applications.
HEPA
(High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are designed to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns in size with an efficiency rating of 99.97%.Electrostatic filters use static electricity to attract particles from the air stream. The Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that a clogged air filter causes the heating and cooling system to use 15% more energy than when the air filter was new. If you do a conservative calculation, what you can save by never running your system with a clogged air filter is to take half of your average monthly energy bill, multiply it by 15%, and multiply that by the number of months the system is running with a clogged air filter. On the other hand, many scientific studies have indicated that high-efficiency filters do not necessarily consume more energy than lower-efficient filters in the domestic environment. Especially extreme air pollution in regions such as China, India and the Gulf has further increased global concerns about air quality in recent years. To study whether highly efficient filters negatively affect the performance of the heating and cooling system, energy consumption was measured while testing different types of filters. The first type of filters were fiberglass filters, Flanders EZ Flow, which were selected as a basis to represent low-efficiency filters.
As seen in Figures 4 and 5 (also seen in the table), the highest-efficient MERV 13 filter had a lower pressure drop than the lowest-efficiency MERV 8 filters. He has extensive experience in air quality assessment and detection technologies and drives the development of cutting-edge solutions, including systems to optimize indoor air quality and occupant comfort, as well as next-generation cooling architectures. Find the right room air purifier product for your home with the following tips and learn more about managing indoor air quality in the EPA Home Air Filter Guide (PDF, 3 MB). For more information on the latest indoor air quality issues that may affect you, as well as actions you can take, visit the EPA's indoor air quality website. In conclusion, high-efficiency air filters are an excellent way to improve indoor air quality without sacrificing energy efficiency. By selecting an appropriate filter for your needs and regularly replacing it when necessary, you can ensure that your home or office is always breathing clean air while saving money on energy costs.
