As you’ll see, the air conditioner cannot clean the air by itself, but the air filter is most surely. Because air conditioners are so crucial to how we live, jobs for people who work in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are in high demand.
Air purifiers should be a standard in all homes and in all places of business. These machines primarily improve indoor air quality. Indoor air quality directly impacts health and wellness. Indoor air quality also determines if those with vulnerable health will have an easier time during the allergy-laden months.
While indoor air is invisible, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t carry with it any contaminants. In fact, tobacco smoke can linger in a structure for years. What’s invisible in indoor air continues to affect people. That’s why cleaning indoor air with the right machine matters.
So if you’re concerned with indoor air pollution, and you’re thinking of using your window air conditioning units to clean the air, read on. We have an extensive discussion and comparison of the two.
Taking a Closer Look at A/Cs
Inside an air conditioning unit is a basic dust filter. These air conditioner filters stop dust from clogging up the internal parts of the machine. They also collect dust from the air as it passes. A dust filter will only have a negligible impact, if any at all, on smoke and other fine particles. Polluted indoor air will also cause this dust trap to clog faster. Any contaminants in the air that are smaller than regular dust and dander will continue to contribute to poor indoor air quality.
An air filter cleans the air brought into your home before distributing it throughout the space. This device removes contaminants from people and their pets, including dirt, dust, bacteria, and hair. Thanks to the installed air filter, this debris is prevented from entering your home and being taken in by you and your family.
The Dust Filter
Some air filters are better at removing dust and other particles from the surrounding air. The minimum efficiency reporting value, also known as the MERV scale, is a measurement that can be used to estimate how effective a filter is. The MERV scale has a value from 1 to 20, with more significant numbers denoting more effective filters.
It is recommended that you employ filters with a ranking of 8 and 13 for your house or your place of business. When adjusted to level 8, your filter will effectively remove hair, pollen, mold, dust, and dirt. When it reaches a 13, it will remove all of it in addition to particles of germs and viruses. A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is the most effective because it can remove 99.7 percent of airborne particles.
Cleaning The Filter
Please find out how to get to the filters or how often you should clean them by looking at the instructions. When filters are clean, they make it simpler for air to flow through them, which in turn helps your air conditioner function more smoothly and effectively. Don’t guess regardless of the A/C you have at home: central air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and household air conditioners.
Ionization is the basis for operating the air purification filter found in some air conditioners. Several variants are available for this filter, such as photocatalytic and plasma stream filters.
Ionization filters can remove at least some smoke, but most of the time, the claims made for these filters center on the fact that they can remove fine dust, mold spores, odors, allergies, and pathogens.
How Air Conditioner Works
Quick-changing chemicals are used in your air conditioner’s refrigeration cycle. These chemicals conduct heat from within your home to the exterior.
There are essentially three components that make up the AC system. The compressor, condenser, and evaporator are these components. The compressor and condenser of your air conditioner are usually positioned on the exterior of your home. An evaporator can be found indoors.
The compressor receives the cooling fluid at low pressure from the surrounding atmosphere. When this gas or fluid is compressed, its molecules become closer together. The tighter the compressor squeezes, the hotter and more energized these molecules become.
The Principles of A/Cs
You may be astonished to discover that the principles behind your air conditioner and refrigerator operation are remarkably similar. While a refrigerator can cool a small, well-insulated area, an air conditioner can cool a whole house, building, or business to a pleasant temperature.
- One heating and cooling system component is an air conditioner, which transports heat energy outside the home. The air conditioner in a home or office is, in essence, a central cooling and heating system that distributes cooled air through ducts made of metal sheeting by eliminating heat from the incoming air.
- A “refrigerant” is a cooling substance that absorbs heat from within your home and transfers it outside. The coils carry the refrigerant through an enclosed system. The coils are responsible for transferring the refrigerant from your home to the outside and back again.
- As the warm air from inside your home is sucked into the vent, it is blown over the evaporator coil, which is located in a chilly outdoor unit. The evaporator coil is the inside station that removes heat from the air. Then, air ducts blow the cold air about your home with a fan.
- The compressor reduces the volume of the gas. The gas is typically compressed between two solid surfaces. This process increases its pressure and temperature to prepare the refrigerant for condensing.
- The superheated vapor of the refrigerant travels to the outdoor condenser, where it is cooled by contact with ambient air. The heat released by the refrigerant is absorbed by the surrounding air, causing the refrigerant’s temperature to drop and its phase to switch from gas to liquid.
- After the refrigerant’s heat is transferred to the outside, the refrigerant’s cool temperature causes it to return to the evaporator within. This procedure is repeated until the required temperature is reached within the house. Your air conditioner has been instructed to turn off your thermostat.
How Air Purifier Works
To remove allergens and other irritants from the air, you can use an air purifier, a portable appliance that combines a filter and a fan. The cleaned air is recirculated into the space. Every few minutes, the filtered air is recirculated back into the room, steadily improving the quality of the air we breathe.
How it Cleans the Air
Using an air purifier is a great way to clean the air and lower your risk of exposure to harmful particles. Some varieties may improve the health of people with asthma, allergies, and other disorders. However, picking the most efficient air purifier requires careful consideration of numerous criteria. Most studies have found that HEPA filters effectively capture even the tiniest particles.
Air Purifier Filters
Air purifiers typically use either a fibrous media air filter or an electronic air cleaner to remove contaminants from the air—the former acts like a catcher’s mitt, capturing particles in the filter. The latter type of air purifier, an electronic air cleaner, utilizes electricity to charge particles, which then attract to the machine’s positively and negatively charged plates in the form of an electrostatic precipitator or ionizer.
- The majority of air cleaners operate by filtering the incoming air and then recirculating the air that has been cleaned. The precise process of this can vary between air purifier models and brands.
- A purifier’s essential component is a fan that sucks in ambient air from the environment. Next, a filter, often made of paper or fiberglass, is used to clean the air.
- Particles more extensive than the filter’s threshold are subsequently captured. Each brand of air purifier will have a unique size in this regard. For example, a gold-standard HEPA filter can effectively filter out particles as small as 0.3 microns.
- As the last step, the fan brings the filtered air back into the room. The filter, however, must be updated periodically.
- It’s important to remember that not all air purifiers are designed the same. Some air purifiers neutralize, rather than sucking in dirty air and filtering it out. They could, for instance, release negative ions that reduce static by attracting charged particles.
- UV filters, which use ultraviolet light, are another option for cleaning the air. They effectively eliminate mold and germs by emitting UV light.
- When outside pollution levels are high or when it’s too chilly to open windows and let in lots of fresh air, the EPA and many doctors believe that air purifiers are a good investment. An air filter won’t hurt, but remember that the droplets can also land on things and remain there.
Do Air Conditioners Act As Air Purifiers?
Sadly, most air conditioners are not designed to provide that level of filtration for the air. Your air conditioner operates tirelessly to keep the heat out of the room, but it cannot remove contaminants and particles from the air on its own—at least not without the assistance of a filter.
They Only Do Basic Filtration
A/C filters work primarily to prevent the dust from clogging up the internal mechanisms, this collects dust from the air as it passes.
On the other hand, a dust filter will only have a negligible impact, if any at all, on smoke and other fine particles.
Find out how to get to the filters and how frequently you must clean them by looking at the instructions. When filters are clean, they make it simpler for air to flow through them, which in turn helps your air conditioner function more smoothly and effectively.
Different A/C Dust Filters
Ionization is the basis for operating the air purification filter found in some air conditioners. Several variants are available for this filter, such as photocatalytic and plasma stream filters.
Ionization filters can remove at least some smoke, but most of the time, the claims made for these filters center on the fact that they can remove fine dust, mold spores, odors, allergies, and pathogens.
A catechin-based filter is provided by some models as well. Catechin is an extract from specific plants that have antibacterial and antifungal activities. Filters made of catechins are designed to trap and remove bacterial spores, mold spores, and various other minute particles.
A perfunctory search on the internet reveals a wide variety of aftermarket air purifying filters available for air conditioners. These filters may be marketed as electrostatic, activated carbon, or similar. They claim to be suitable with the most popular brands of air conditioners and, in certain instances, can be trimmed to size to fit a variety of models.
Take precautions when using filters of this kind. It is improbable that they have been tested extensively with every brand of an air conditioner. Using non-genuine parts may reduce the performance of your air conditioner, may cause damage, and void your warranty. Also, while they may offer filtration as claimed, it is improbable that they have been tested extensively with every air conditioner brand.
Is A/C The Same As Air Purifier?
In regions of the country where extreme heat waves occasionally occur, air conditioners can save lives. While air conditioners are great for keeping us cool, they also have the potential to affect the quality of air in your house significantly.
By lowering the relative humidity in the space, air conditioners can create a more comfortable environment. They won’t, however, remove every contaminant from the air in your home.
There are numerous potential causes of air pollution in enclosed spaces. Many individuals spend most of their time indoors; they must understand how to maintain healthy air conditions there.
Whether a central air conditioner is part of a more extensive HVAC setup or a standalone unit, it should have filters. More significant airborne pollutants, such as dust and pet hair, can be captured using prefabricated filters or ordering a bespoke filter. Its MERV rating indicates pollutants and how much of them are captured by a filter.
The Main Differences
Air purifiers and air conditioners may look similar at first glance, sharing components like fans, filters, and vents; yet, they are used for quite distinct purposes. An air conditioner lets you control the temperature inside your house and keep it consistently comfortable. Unfortunately, although they do a good job cleaning your home, air purifiers do not help you keep the temperature just right.
Air purifiers, in contrast to air conditioners, are always designed to be on. This enables them to regularly replace the air in the room, removing impurities as the air moves through the filters. Depending on the filter you get for your air purifier, it will either remove particles or gaseous contaminants.
The usage of HEPA filters in HVAC systems is not unique to air purifiers; these filters can also be used to capture airborne particle pollution. Still, they might not work against gaseous contaminants. Another popular technology seen in these devices is carbon filters, which have the opposite effect. While the filtering systems effectively remove dangerous gases, they cannot remove smaller particles.
An air purifier cannot control the temperature and humidity levels inside a building, and most of them cannot even be adjusted. Fortunately, if you need an air purifier, you can get models that do double-duty as humidifiers.
If the air conditioner has filters, a ventilation system, and other air disinfection capabilities, it can be utilized to clean the air inside the home.
Consider your needs carefully when picking between an air conditioner and an air purifier for your house or office. An air conditioner is the best option to regulate the temperature inside your home or office.
But an air purifier is the solution if you want to improve the overall air quality and eliminate harmful pollutants simultaneously.
Does A/C Clean Air In Room?
Air conditioning systems are not capable of cleaning the air in a room. Instead, the air filter positioned close to the return air duct or ventilation system is responsible for removing allergens such as dust, pollen, and others. The belief that air filters are only present in air conditioning units is a prevalent misconception. In reality, air filters are an essential system component that combines heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
There is a relationship between the MERV rating of an air filter and the efficiency with which it captures particulates, with higher MERV values capable of capturing smaller particles than lower MERV values. Therefore, it is not the responsibility of the condensing unit to clean the air within the house; instead, that task falls to the air filter utilized.
Your air conditioner will circulate and recycle all of the air in your house. When you switch on an air conditioner, the refrigerants, fans, and evaporator coils work together to distribute cool air around the area. Therefore, the issue is not caused by bringing in air from the great outside within the building.
There is a possibility that the allergens and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air within your home are being exacerbated by your air conditioner. In addition, because air conditioners do not filter the air they circulate, the already poor quality of the air within the building is even worse.
Some indications that may develop due to air circulation in the absence of ventilation include nasal issues, eye irritation, migraines, disorientation, and difficulty breathing. In addition, there have been reports of people suffering from severe cases of asthma and pneumonia.
If the air conditioner in your home consistently blows dry, chilly air, you may have dryness in your nose, skin, and even eyes. The complexion may become dry and inflamed as a consequence.
When our mucous membranes become less moist, we have an increased risk of being ill. Home air conditioners capable of recirculating stale and contaminated air are a significant factor in developing this vulnerability. Therefore, there is a likelihood that symptoms will include disorientation, headaches, and excessive fatigue.
Those who suffer from respiratory illnesses such as asthma and allergies ought to be aware that an air conditioner that has not been correctly maintained has the potential to make their conditions worse.
