Air conditioner filters: many types available, but which ones are best?

Air conditioner filters serve several functions: reducing the risk of fire in the ductwork, protecting the heating/cooling coils, and reducing the need for vacuum cleaning and dusting. But what is generally not realized is that an air conditioner filter can also increase our wellbeing by protecting us against allergies, bacteria and/or viruses.

The question of what type of air conditioner filter to use goes hand in hand with how effective it should be at removing a particular size of particles.

There are many types of air conditioner filter, but the most common ones, in order of increasing effectiveness are: panel type filter, electrostatic air filter, pleated filter, and pleated electrostatic air filter.

The panel type air conditioner filter can only capture the largest particles, such as lint and dust. The fiberglass or polyester filter is basically meant to protect the HVAC system from damage.

Made from cotton or polyester and denser than the basic panel type, pleated filters are of better quality. These air conditioner filters will catch smaller particles such as spores and mold, pollen, human hair, pet dander, and lint.
However, most bacteria, viruses, and smoke are not trapped.

The fibers of electrostatic filters have a charge, enabling them to capture smaller particles than the previous two filtration methods. They can generally remove up to 95% of the larger particles, and up to 20% of medium sized particles (0.3 to 1 micron). To prevent them from quickly become less effective, it’s important to clean or replace them frequently.

The pleated electrostatic air filter has the best performance. According to a study by Kinzer and Moreno, it can capture up to 58% of particles between the size of 0.3 and 1 micron, which means that even some viruses and many bacteria are removed.
Because these hybrid air conditioner filters are such good value, they are our top choice.

For more information on related products, please choose from the following:

Whole House Purifiers | Replacement Filters