Electrostatic air filters are a great way to improve the air quality in your home. They use static electricity to give particles a positive charge when they enter the filter, which is then released as air continues through the rear layers of the filter and ultimately causes the particle to be trapped. This type of air filtration system is very efficient at capturing between 80 and 90 percent of dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, mold spores, and indoor air smoke. An electrostatic filter is made of two plates, one with a positive charge and the other with a negative charge.
All the electrically charged particles in the air in your home will be attracted to one of these plates. The particles stick to the plate until its surface is washed. Electrostatic air filters are made of a filter medium that undergoes a process to charge them, creating an attractive quality. Multi-layer washable filters contain layers of materials intended to charge particles as they pass, making it easier for the attractive filter layer to work.
Electrostatic filters are considered “flat filters”, unlike “pleated” filters such as HEPA filters. Because electrostatic air filters are reusable, you won't have to order new filters every two months or wait in a long line at a store to buy what you need. Electrostatic air filters ideally work as magnets for dust and any other particles floating in the air. This means that electrostatic precipitators cannot filter air from all particles with the same level of efficiency; this may depend on the size of the contaminant.
If you want to further improve your home's indoor air quality, electrostatic filters are compatible with UV-C air purifiers, whole-house fans, attic fans, and portable air purifiers. Fibreglass filters may contain something like a static charge, but it's not enough to turn them into an effective filtering device. Electrostatic filters come in one size only and fit almost all heating and air conditioning systems. If you suffer from a variety of airborne allergies, electrostatic air filters may be a reasonable way to reverse poor indoor air quality.
An electrostatically charged panel filter is installed directly in the HVAC system and is made of coarse-grained fibers. However, the air purifier you choose should not be an electrostatic air filter device because of the levels of ozone it can generate.
