Air Filtration
Filters are used to protect your system and keep the dust and dirt that's in your home from getting into your blower and evaporator coil. There are many different types of air filters you can get for your system. Air cleaners take filtration to the next level and remove dust, dirt, mold, and pollen from circulating through your home. We have listed the options below for filtration and air cleaning from basic to best.
Paper Filter (3% - 15% efficient)
This type of filter is the bare minimum and the most popular type of filter used. Paper filters are available at most supermarkets and drug stores and are meant to be thrown away every month or so.
Don't use these if you don't have to. Paper filters only minimally protect your system. If you want to protect yourself there are alternatives that work better and last a lot longer (and cost less in the long run). At Total Comfort, we do not recommend paper filters.
Washable Filter (3% - 20% efficient)
Permanent, washable filters work just like the paper filters, but they can be removed, cleaned and used over and over. We do not recommend washable filters.
Electrostatic Air Filters (50% - 80% efficient)
Electrostatic air filters are installed just like a regular paper filter, but they are permanent and washable. They are much more effective than a standard filter. They use two or more types of filter media that react together to create a static electrical charge that acts like a magnet on the dust particles. They work well, and they don't take up any extra space, but they are more expensive compared to paper and washable filters.
Electrostatic air filters are usually too restrictive to allow proper airflow for today's higher efficiency furnaces. (Due to small surface area.) Reduced airflow makes the furnace overheat, age faster and work harder than it should to heat your home. It also makes your air conditioner more expensive to use. We do not recommend electrostatic filters.
Media Filter (50% - 80% efficient)
Media filters function a lot like electrostatic filters but with one major difference. Media filters have more than 10 times the area. This means they offer good airflow even when dirty. Media filters must be installed professional because of their size and will require replacement once or twice a year. We recommend media filters.
Electronic Air Cleaner (98% efficient)
Electronic air cleaners use electricity to create a magnetic charge that traps particles. The actual filter sections, or cells, can be removed and cleaned. You have to be sure to keep them clean or the effectiveness will be reduced, but you still won't have to keep buying filters. Electronic air cleaners initially cost more than media filters, but are more efficient and cost less in the long run. The downside is they take up more space than a regular filter. If you have the space to install one, it's a great system. We recommend electronic air cleaners.
Trane CleanEffects (99.98% efficient)
TRANE CleanEffects utilizes patented breakthrough air cleaning technology to remove up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens from the air that passes through the filter, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA filters and 100 times more effective than a standard 1 filter or ionic-type room appliance. What's more, TRANE CleanEffects has been performance- tested by LMS Technologies and Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc, with the results verified by professors from the Harvard School of Public Health, so you know you're getting an expert air-filtration system like no other.
LMS Technologies is a technology consulting company that specializes in air flow measurement, filtration testing and particle analysis. Environmental Health & Engineering is an environmental consulting and engineering services company that is dedicated to ensuring safe and productive environments, and is co-founded by Dr. John D. Spengler, PhD of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard.
Not even the tiniest allergens can escape
New TRANE CleanEffects is so effective that it traps allergens down to .3 microns, so small that about 2,000,000 particles could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. That's the size at which allergens cause the most irritation because your nose, mouth and throat can't filter them and they get trapped deep in your lungs. Furthermore, if you install TRANE CleanEffects into a system that features a variable-speed fan motor, you'll be able to kill dust mites by keeping the air at below 50% relative humidity, which helps make your home even more allergen free.
If you have more questions about air filtration or which filter to use, feel free to contact us. Total Comfort is a Minnesota HVAC contractor.