The short answer is no, but let me explain.
The air filter in your heater and air conditioner is one of the most vital components of the system. Dirty or missing filters are, without a doubt, the number one cause of heating and air conditioning breakdowns and failures.
What is The Purpose of the Air Filter?
A very common misconception is that the your filter is intended to clean the air in your home. The truth is, the filter exists to protect the heater and air conditioner alone. As the air from your home is pulled in to your heater and air conditioner it is vital that dust, dirt, pet hair, etc. is contained before it enters the system. If this foreign debris gets into the heater or air conditioner it will clog the evaporator coil or get hung up on the heat exchanger. If this happens the airflow is restricted which causes a host of other problems, things like freezing coils, increased pressures, burned out compressors, increased furnace temperature, etc. All of which can be incredibly damaging to either the heater or the air conditioner.
Does the Air Filter Clean the Air?
As I said a moment ago the filter pulls large contaminants from the air, things like dust, pollen, pet hair, dirt, etc. But this doesn’t mean your air is clean. The real dangers in the air you breathe are things like virus’, bacteria, mold spores, chemicals, and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).
For example, most people don’t realize that the cushions in their couch are hydrocarbon based foam. They are essentially gasoline that has had a chemical added to it that made it turn to foam. Over time this foam begins to breakdown and off-gas, putting off hydrocarbon chemicals into the air in your home. This is an example of what needs to be removed.
What Will Clean My Air?
Have you ever noticed how the air outside (unless you live in a dense, traffic-ridden city) is so much nicer than the air in your home? This is because nature has processes built into it to clean the air. The UV rays from the Sun kill germs, the wind blowing through fields of grass and through leaves (which filters it), the rain falling, etc. all clean the air.
To clean the air in our homes we try to imitate nature. Proven indoor air quality devices us UV bulbs, ionization, and produce hydrogen peroxide or ozone to sanitize, clean, and purify the air we breathe.
If your goal is to clean the air you breathe, and remove the toxins from your home, your heating and air conditioning filter won’t do the trick. You need a whole home indoor air quality (IAQ) device. We prefer the REME Halo. If you’d like more information on what type of IAQ device would meet your needs give us a call. We are experts with indoor air quality.
Check out our video on changing your air filter here.
Choose Prestige Air to Help Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
If you experience asthma or allergies while inside your home call Prestige Air. Our expert service professionals have the training and experience to assess your indoor air quality and resolve your concerns. Call (817) 200-7215 to improve the quality of the air in your home.
If you’re concerned about having Prestige Air in your home with Covid-19 on the rise read about our company policies here.
