Learn the Difference Between Air Filtration and Air Cleaning in Your LA Home

Learn the Difference Between Air Filtration and Air Cleaning in Your LA Home

When improving your home’s indoor air quality, you may consider air filtration or air cleaning. To many homeowners, these two terms have the same meaning. Let’s have a closer look at each process to help you get the difference and determine which one is right for your home.

Air Filtration

Air filtration is the process through which your home’s return air is passed through an air filter to remove dirt, dust, debris and other particles. The air filter captures the particles before the air is pushed to your heating and cooling system. This saves the system from safety and performance problems that could result from the accumulation of dust on its interior components.

Standard air filters only capture large particles from your air that can affect your system. They can’t capture most of the particles that have a negative effect on your health such as biological contaminants because they’re too small.

Air Cleaning

Air cleaning is the process through which both large and microscopic particles that are dangerous to your furnace, air conditioner and personal health are removed. Air cleaning can remove up to 99 percent of the particles in your indoor air.

Air cleaners are installed between the return air duct and your furnace or air conditioner. They remove more particles than standard air filters. Although we have some filters with high MERV ratings that can remove some small particles, these filters tend to restrict airflow and increase your system’s energy consumption. On the contrary, air cleaners work without affecting the airflow in your system.

Which One’s Best for Your Home?

Air cleaning is ideal if you if you’re looking to improve your indoor air quality, particularly if there are asthma or allergy sufferers in your home. Filtering is beneficial if your only concern is preventing dirt buildup in your HVAC system, provided you change your air filter once it’s clogged.

You can also consider sitting down with an expert to determine the best option for your home. For more expert advice on air filtration and cleaning, contact Air-Tro. We’ve been serving the greater Los Angeles area since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Los Angeles, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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