Clean Air And Your Air Conditioner
The hot days of summer are coming and we will all be looking for ways to stay cool. Today, air conditioners are the way most people choose to keep themselves cool but we need to think not only staying cool but also of staying healthy. In fact staying healthy should be uppermost in your mind. This is exactly what a good air conditioner should help you do.
Apart from cooling a room, a good air conditioner should also filter the air coming out of it. A quality air conditioner will be made so that it thoroughly filters the outside air and allows only clean air to enter your home.
What you need, is an air conditioner that comes with an inbuilt air filter. Not all air conditioners available on the market are capable of filtering the outside air to the same extent. So if you are really concerned about the quality of air you are breathing or if you have problems breathing because of dust, fumes and smoke, allergies or chronic breathing problems you should go for a high quality air conditioner, which has a proper air cleaner built into it.
To make sure your air conditioner has a good long life and your air filtration set up functions properly, you will need to give it regular attention and maintenance. Don’t wait until your air conditioner stops cooling properly or the inside air isn’t as clean as it should be before you give it maintenance. In fact, experts suggest you change or clean the filter every month to ensure the best air quality and for it to continue cooling properly. Some people may think they only have to look at it once a year but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Few routine chores will pay off more handsomely, both in comfort and in dollars saved, than a simple air conditioner cleaning. You can bet that it doesn’t take long for dirt and debris to clog the cooling fins and lower the unit’s efficiency. Dirty air conditioners will even stop cooling altogether. Contractors estimate that more than 90 percent of air-conditioner failures were the result of the owner’s failing to clean them!
Also if your air conditioner is not properly maintained, and operated, the components can become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris. If moisture is present (and it is), the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home’s living space.
Start by removing the filter from the front grille. If it is a disposable type simply replace it with a new one. Other types are made in a plastic frame and can be cleaned and reused. To clean a reusable type filter lay it flat in the sink and sprinkle the surface with laundry detergent. Then cover with about one inch of hot water, just enough so the filter is submerged. Soak for 15 minutes. Remove from water and rinse with warm water then hang it up to dry before reinstalling it.
Homeowners can also keep the condenser and evaporator coils clean which will help the unit run longer and more efficiently. When cleaning the coils of a window air conditioner, use a low-foaming cleaner. You can also purchase coil cleaner in an aerosol can which is quite convenient and simple to use.
Indoor air quality may be invisible, but it still has an impact on your family’s health and the health of your home. Levels of many pollutants can be far higher indoors than they are outdoors and indoor pollutants can seriously affect your health. Having a good air conditioner is not enough, so remember to open your doors and windows from time to time to flush the impure air out of your home. Your house keeping style can also have a big impact on the health of your home.
Tips for Buying an Air Cleaner
Breathing in clean, pure air is important for our health as we all know. The best way to do this is buy a good quality air cleaner for our home or office. The problem is the market is full of a ton of air cleaning products. When we try to learn which one we should buy we are hit with a lot of terms that can leave the average person downright confused.
I am going to try to answer some of your questions and give you some understanding of what these terms mean so that you can make an informed decision on purchasing the right product for your home.
HEPA
HEPA filters are High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance and were originated during the Second World War. Originally designed to prevent radioactive particles from entering the respiratory system, today they are the best air cleaners in the market. Their filtration rate is slightly below 100%. They can remove all particles of size 0.3 microns from the air.
OEM
OEM is the Original Equipment Manufacturer who not only sells you the product but also provides spare parts made by the same manufacturer when the parts in the product need replacing. You might be able to get generic parts in the market, which can be cheaper but they are often not of the same quality. Buying your product from the OEM, you can be confident of a good quality not only on the product but also on the spare parts you might need. Besides, the OEM will also take the responsibility for maintaining your air cleaner. This ensures that you get the best quality service for all your equipment.
MERV
MERV or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value tells you the efficiency of the air filters. This is the ability of your filter to remove particles from the air. You should be looking for values in the range of 12 to 16. Lower values tell you that the filter is not very efficient at removing particles. Values of 12 to 16 tell you that the filter is highly efficient at removing particles. This is a standard measurement used by all the air cleaner manufacturers. It makes comparing the different products on the market very easy.
CADR
CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rate is the rate at which air is filtered and free from three major problems (dust, pollen and cigarette smoke). The higher the number the higher the rate of filtration and thus both the efficiency and the quality filter. You really need to buy an air cleaner whose CADR is around two third of the area of the room that you want to filter. You should be able to find these numbers are marked on the box or in the information on the air filters. Note that they indicate how the filter will perform when it is brand new and when you are using parts supplied by OEM and not by the generic manufacturers.
For a healthier future consider using a HEPA filter in your home and let your whole family breath easier.