How to Install and Maintain an Electrostatic Filter

If you are considering purchasing an electrostatic filter for your furnace, then you are most likely already aware of the many great benefits that purchasing one of these filters can bring you and your family. In case you are unaware, these filters provide many benefits to homeowners including improving the air quality of their home, and saving them money since these filters do not need to be replaced like traditional filters do. However, many people who are aware of these benefits are reluctant to purchase an electrostatic filter for their home, because they believe a permanent filter will be harder to install and clean. This is however not the case since electrostatic filters are extremely easy to install and clean. To prove this, here are instructions for installing and cleaning an electrostatic air filter.

 Installation

The installation process for electrostatic filters is extremely easy since it is done in the same way that you would install a traditional air filter. The air filter should have an arrow at the top. You will want this arrow to point toward your furnace, as this is the direction that the air will be flowing. Once you have determined which way your filter needs to face, simply install it in the same place that your old filter went.  

Cleaning

There is a misconception that permanent electrostatic air filters require more maintenance and are more difficult to clean than other air filters. However, electrostatic air filters only require cleaning once a month, which is the same as a traditional disposable air filter. To clean your air filter, simply vacuum it off to remove dirt and dust. Once every three months however you will need to remove the filter in order to clean it more thoroughly. The process of cleaning this type of filter more thoroughly is still simple. All you have to do is remove the filter and rinse it off with a hose. Makes sure that you hose off the filter in the opposite direction of airflow so that dirt and debris is not pushed further into the filter. Once you have cleaned the filter, allow it to sit for 30 minutes to ensure that it has dried thoroughly before reinstalling it.

 

As you can see, the installation and maintenance of electrostatic air filters is just as simple as that of traditional air filters. However, these filters are much more beneficial since they work more efficiently and they do not need to be replaced. If you have more questions regarding electrostatic air filters, contact us. We will be happy to address any concerns you may have regarding electrostatic filters; we can also help you to pick the right electrostatic air filter for your furnace.

Cleaning Your Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)

 

The Electronic Air Cleaner or EAC is usually found on the side of the air handler where the return air enters the unit.  Be sure to turn the power off on the unit and wait about 20 seconds for the power to discharge. Open the front panel.  You will see that the EAC is comprised of the prefilter (1 or 2), the EAC power cells (usually 2) and sometimes an afterfilter or postfilter.

Examine the pre-filter to make sure it it still in good condition and then clean it off. You can do this using a brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner. Vacuum off the surface of the filter to remove the loose dirt.   Be careful…the aluminum prefilters and not very sturdy and bend easily.  If the pre-filter has not been cleaned often and it caked with dirt, take the prefilter outside and spray the surface with a cleaning solution. A good environmentally option to use is Simple Green.  You can also use coil cleaner on aluminum pre-filters, but wash it with clean water quickly.  Alternatively, you can replace your aluminum pre-filter with an electrostatic pre-filter.  They cost about the same, do a better job trapping dust and are much easier to clean.  This results in less “popping” noise from dust hitting the EAC collector plates.

Next, clean the power cells.  Stand the cells up on a clean surface outside and thoroughly spray with the cleaning solution.  You can use coil cleaner or a cleaner made specifically for EAC cells – like Oreck’s “Assail-A-Cell AIr Purifier Cell Cleaner”.  Be sure to coat every side of each plate in the cell with the solution.  Wait a few minutes and the dirt will begin to fall off of the plates.  Do not allow the cleaning solution to dry on the cell.  Be very careful not to break the ionizing wire that connects the plates in the cell.  Remove the cleaning solution from the cells using your garden hose or submerse in clean water.  Make sure to spray down each side of the cell to wash off the solution. The cells then need to be set aside to fully dry. This can take up to an hour if you leave them outside.  Set the cells back in place when they are completely dry.

As mentioned above, the EAC may also contain an after-filter or postfilter.  If the after-filter is aluminum, it can be cleaned using the same method as the prefilter.  You can also install a carbon after-filter for odor-control.  Carbon filters are not washable but will last 3-6 months each.

Check your EAC once a month when your furnace is in use. If you have any questions about the care of your electronic air cleaner, feel free to contact us.

Why does my house smell like burning rubber?

 

I thought I would share a brief experience that may help someone out there.

Years ago, when I was doing air duct cleaning, I received a call from a homeowner that said he had a burning rubber smell in his home and wanted me to come inspect his air ducts.  After a thorough inspection, I determined the smell had nothing to do with his air ducts or his HVAC system.  However, he decided to have his air ducts cleaned anyway.  The house was very large and it took us 2 days to clean all the ducts.  When I arrived the first morning, I did not notice the smell in the home.  As the day went on the smell got stronger and stronger.   By the afternoon, it was almost unbearable.  The smell seemed to be strongest in the living room and the adjacent office.  Both rooms had very large windows and the smell seemed to get worse as the sun rose and the room warmed up.   I felt really bad for the homeowner.  As I went home after the first day of work, I was determined to figure out what the cause was.

I spent hours on the internet that evening and just as I was about to give up…BINGO.  I came across an article about imported area rugs that can have this issue.  The article was about certain rugs sold at Pier One that originated in South America.  In order to be imported into the US, the rugs had to be sprayed with a type of insecticide to prevent any foreign critters from entering into the US.  It turned out that this chemical reacted with the rubber backing on the area rugs and over time produced the burning rubber smell.  The problem gets worse if the rug is cleaned or if it gets warm (like when exposed to sun).

I went back to the job the next day and told the homeowner what I had found.  He was skeptical because he said his rugs and carpets had been professionally cleaned and it did not help the problem.  We lifted up the area rug in the living room and the smell almost knocked us over.  That was it!  The rugs in both his living room and his office had the same issue.  He told me that his rugs were very expensive and came from a upscale furniture store.  So apparently, this issue effects rugs from places other that Pier One.  Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is any way to fix the rugs.  He threw them away and bought new ones.

About 2 weeks later, I arrived home from another job to find a stryofoam cooler on my front porch.  The homeowner was so grateful that he sent me a whole cooler full of steaks from Omaha Steaks!

An electrostatic furnace filter – Save time, money and efffort.

 

If you are like most people, you change your furnace filter on a regular basis, and like most people that usually means a couple of months after you first thought “I need to change the furnace filter”.

So, you duly drive off to the home supply store, find a filter of the correct size – assuming of course, you wrote the dimensions down – and drive home a happy homeowner. Then comes the fun part – standing on a stepladder or step stool to reach the filter cover and then struggling to remove the darn thing without cutting your fingers to shreds on the metal tabs and edges. Next, you have to remove the filter, which usually results in you being showered with dust and heaven alone knows what else as you slide out the by now clogged disposable filter.

Assuming you can still breathe, it has to be bagged and then put in the garbage bin from where it goes to the landfill, along with hundreds of thousands of other filters countrywide. By now you are probably thinking that there has to be an easier way than this, and you’re right. By using an electrostatic furnace filter from Healthy Home Filter Company, you can avoid adding to the landfill and also save yourself time, money and effort.

Electrostatic filters trap more particles than fiberglass filters through magnetically attracting contaminants, including particles that are small enough to evade capture by other filters, and due to the fact that you don’t need to replace it every few months, it repays the expense in about a year. Finally, by removing more dust and contaminants than regular filters, it helps reduce wear and tear on your furnace, extending its’ life and saving you money on future repair bills. To learn more about our electrostatic furnace filters and our lifetime guarantee, contact us.

Flu Season – Time to Destroy Pathogens With UV Light

We all know about getting flu shots and washing our hands frequently to help avoid germs during flu season, but did you know that hospitals throughout the U.S. use UV light to help prevent the spread of flu, colds and other contagious infections? And the U.S. Government battles microbes by requiring UV lamps to be installed in the air conditioning systems in government buildings:

“Ultraviolet light (C band) emitters shall be incorporated downstream of all cooling coils and above all drain pans to control airborne and surface microbial growth and transfer.”

UV lights are proven to effectively kill influenza A & B, Strep, Swine Flu (H1N1), molds, bacteria, viruses and more. In fact, Duke Medical Center was one of several hospitals participating in a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that showed UV light is even effective against drug-resistant pathogens, including tuberculosis and MRSA.

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits for using UVC Germicidal Lamps to improve indoor air quality, and now you can utilize this affordable technology in your home or business by installing a UVC Germicidal Lamp in under 15 minutes!

When installed in your heating/cooling system, this UV lamp provides continuous UV sterilization, which also reduces odors and allergens.

Consider also installing a permanent, washable Electrostatic Furnace Filter and you’ll have a whole system air sanitizer, providing higher air quality, pathogen reduction and easier breathing–even asthma relief.

Contact us today to utilize this amazing technology. We’ll help you select the best products to improve your indoor air quality and help conquer flu season in a proven, cost-effective, environmentally-friendly way.

Electrostatic Furnace Filter Saves You Money This Winter

Winter is coming. There’s a lot to look forward to — cozy time indoors watching it snow outside, the beginning of a new year — and there’s also a lot to prepare for. If your home isn’t prepared for cold weather, now is the time to get it ready. Here are a few helpful tips on how to make sure your home heating bill isn’t any bigger than necessary for the next few months.

1. Consider window insulation. That thin sheet of glass that separates the inside of your home from the outside transfers temperature very well. The cold air outside cools the window itself, which in turn, costs energy by cooling the warm air on  the inside. To prevent this waste of money, consider putting up clear plastic sheets on the inside of your windows to create an extra buffer of air between the cold outside and the warmth inside.
2. Cover drafty areas. If you have an attic that’s poorly insulated, check to make sure all significant drafts are reduced. One easy way to test for this is take a piece of tissue paper with you and hold it near suspect drafty areas. If there really is a draft there, the tissue paper will flap in the light breeze. This is more sensitive than touch, so you can really cover the windy weak spots.
3. Check the doors. If you’re losing heat around the door, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common ways that a well-insulated home loses warmth. If your door doesn’t already have a rubber strip along the bottom that contacts the floor, consider purchasing one from your local hardware store. This strip can also be installed on the side or top of the door to make sure that when the door is closed, no drafts get through.
4. Make sure your furnace is in good repair and has a high quality air filter installed. A poorly functioning furnace burns fuel or electricity inefficiently. A dirty filter also causes inefficient function and can end up costing you far more money over the winter than the cost of repairs performed beforehand. Our electrostatic furnace filters work much better than disposable furnace filters, which means when you install one of our filters, you’re not just keeping your bill down and your air quality up — you’re also helping the environment.

If you need help preparing your home for the winter by installing an electrostatic filter, please contact us today.

5 tips for healthier air: Indoor air quality

Usually when we think of unhealthy air, we think about smog, ozone action days and the smoke belched out by heavy trucks and dirty factories. But realistically the indoor air quality inside our homes and other buildings can be dirtier than the outside air. Air within your home might be polluted with formaldehyde, lead (in dust), radon, fire-retardants, even dangerous chemicals used in household cleaning products. Sometimes you bring the pollutants into your home on the bottom of your shoes; sometimes they arrive on new furniture, carpet cleaners or even the paint on your walls.

Here’s how to help reduce the amount of pollutants in your house:

1. Suck it up. Your furnace pulls air throughout your house, so it’s a good idea to use electrostatic furnace filters and replace your standard throw-away disposable air filters. They are permanent, washable, reusable and self-charging. They’ll also save costs, since you don’t need to buy new furnace filters as often. They’re also environmentally friendly.

2. Mop it up. Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming and other cleaning leaves behind. Skip the soaps and cleaners and simply use tap water to clean up any dust or allergens. Microfiber mops supposedly capture more allergens and dirt and don’t need any cleaning solutions.

3. Stop it in its tracks. A big floor mat at every door will keep your family from tracking in all sorts of pollutants via their shoes. It will cut down on the dirt, pesticides and other unhealthy substances from getting into your home.

4. Keep it dry. A healthy level of humidity will help reduce dust mites, mold and other critters that love moisture. You’ll want to keep your humidity around 30%-50% to discourage these critters. Try using a dehumidifier (and AC during summer months) to reduce the humidity indoors and an air conditioner can also reduce indoor pollen count, which helps allergy sufferers.

5. Take a test. Regardless if you live in a new or older home, radon could be a problem. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that raises your risk of lung cancer. It comes from uranium naturally decaying in nearly all soils, and usually comes up through the ground and through cracks and holes in your home’s foundation. Testing is simple, cheap and fast.

By using these simple strategies consistently and correctly, you can improve the quality of the air inside your home, and leave the pollutants outside — where they belong.

Want to know more? Contact us, we’d love to help.

Furnace Filter Replacement: Out With The Old, In With The New

 

As summer starts to change into fall, home and business owners start to think about firing up the furnace for the first time this season — and with the inevitable dust, mold, pollen and particulate build-up from the system sitting idle all summer – a furnace filter replacement is certainly on the must-do list.

But what if you didn’t have to get a new filter every few weeks this winter? What if you didn’t have to make extra trips to the hardware or big-box store for more filters? What if you could remove more allergens, more indoor air pollution, more of the bothersome bits that make forced-air systems problematic — and do it with less effort, less cost, and wind up putting less junk in the landfills? Seem like a good idea?

Electrostatic furnace filters are a one-time purchase that last and last; instead of replacing disposable filters, a quick rinse and a reusable electrostatic filter is as good as new — paying for itself in less than a year, and doing a far better job at cleaning the air than its disposable cousin.

Since it’s easy to keep clean, having an electrostatic filter in your furnace means the system is operating more efficiently, saving energy when heating (or cooling) your home or business — and saving money in the process. A clogged disposable filter left unchanged for even a day or two can result in the furnace working harder to move air around, resulting in a higher gas and electric bill to warm the same space. What’s more, a heating and cooling system that works harder wears out sooner — keeping your filter clean can help your furnace last longer, too.

When you’re ready to stop messing around with disposable filters, contact us and get ready to enjoy the benefits of electrostatic filters today.