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About Air Filters

Air filters are designed to filter and remove a range of contaminants from the air, including molds, gases, dirt and odors. There are specific filters available for different needs, for not all filters are designed to remove the same particles. Filters are made from various materials. For example, these include fabrics such as gauze, fibers such as polyester and metals such as stainless steel. Sometimes electric and chemical reactions within the filter itself help attract and remove harmful elements from the air. Filter efficiency is determined by a few different factors: the size of the filter fibers, the density of the fibers in the filter and the velocity of the air that moves through the filter.
 
Air filters are largely used in home or commercial heating ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is an example of a specific style of filter used in HVAC systems. A HEPA filter is mainly used to remove small particulates such as allergens and other common irritants from the air. The automobile industry uses air filters extensively in vehicles to help promote engine hygiene. Some domestic and industrial appliances house their own internal air filters to increase air quality. Clean air within individual machines ensures longer life to the units. Examples of these types of air filters are found in vacuum cleaners and humidifiers.
 
While air filters protect machines like cars and air conditioners from damage and premature breakdown, they are are also beneficial to living creatures. The more researchers learn about harmful particles and substances that exist in the air, the more air filters play an important part in society’s long-term health. Strict air quality guidelines in many government and industrial circles make the use and continued innovation of air filters essential. Particularly beneficial is the use of air filters in domestic environments in which there are pets or excessive mold, mildew and dust that bring on allergic symptoms. Air filters help clean the air and remove these allergy-causing particulates, thus allowing home-owners and their families to breathe easier.
 
For the most part, air filters that deal with large particles and high velocities have large filter fibers, and likewise, air filters that deal with small particles and low velocities have small filter fibers. To ensure that an air filter will work properly in its intended application, make sure that the design, density of media and fibers and possible adhesive are taken into account before purchase. Air filters are generally able to function very well, as long as they handle the right kind of particulate for their design. Some will even outlast their intended replacement date and will provide years of reliable performance and cleaner air.

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Featured Articles

"The Dirt on Air Filters”
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural_Health/2001_February_March/The_Dirt_In_Air_Filters

"Filtration Monitoring Lags Behind Advances in HVAC Technology for Automated Buildings"
http://www.automatedbuildings.com/news/mar04/articles/pati/pati.htm

Types of Air Filters

• Air cleaner filters remove a range contaminants from the air.
  
• Automobile intake filters are air filters that can handle rapid movement of air through a confined space. Automobile intake filters are often made of fibrous materials that allow the air to flow as freely as possible, yet capture essential contaminants.
  
• Antimicrobial air filters are filters that are treated with an antimicrobial agent, which prevents growth on the filter media.
  
• Carbon filters use carbon, a natural, non-metallic material that is very effective for removing gases and odors. Also called "active" or "activated carbon filters," these filters are particularly suitable for removing chemicals from the air, because carbon can absorb up to 60% of its own weight in gas.
  
• Cartridge filters have various components with different temperature limits and are used in applications that need a temperature resistant material.
  
• Compressed air filters are used in conjunction with a compressed air system. These systems are often utilized in workshops and warehouses in which high pressure air is used as a cleaning and dust removal tool.
  
• Electrostatic filters work by charging the dust particles in the air, which attracts them to the metal plates in the filter.
  
• HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters were originally designed to prevent discharge of radioactive particles from nuclear reactor facility exhausts. These filters are now widely used in industrial settings because of their high efficiency of capturing a wide range of air contaminants.
  
• HVAC filters are filters that are used in an industrial or domestic heating ventilation or air conditioning system.
  
• Foam filters are made up of tiny interlocking cells that trap and distribute dirt particles throughout the entire volume of the foam. Foam filters are often used in automobile intake systems.
  
• Gas phase absorbers are used to filter the air from hazardous gasses.
  
• Grease filters attract grease laden air away from heat sources, such as commercial ovens. Grease filters are often made of stainless steel.
  
• Panel filters are used in spray booths to remove waste paint and dust particles from the workspace.
  
• Pleated filters are filters that are folded to allow for more surface area to be exposed within a smaller area of a filter frame