As food is as vital to healthy living, in the same way, the air is paramount to staying alive! Breathing in good air is thus a big deal! Peradventure, if you already own an air conditioner, you tend to ask: Does an air conditioner purify the air?
If you ever suffer from any airborne disease or sickness such as asthma, you will surely know the importance of the availability of air and breathing in a clean one. Installing an air conditioning system is an excellent way to ensure a good heating and cooling environment and achieve good ventilation in our homes and offices. However, a significant concern is if this system is capable of Purifying air at the same time.
This article has outlined the simple details you need to know about your air conditioning system and also how you can maximize the usage of your HVAC system in providing you with the comfort you deserve from a heating and cooling environment and at the same time, getting to breathe in purified and clean air.
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What is an air conditioning unit
An air conditioner unit is a system whose primary function is responsible for the cooling of a place. A place, in this context, implies an enclosure or an interior. An air conditioner is more efficient in closed areas because the cooling effect stays and circulates in place.
An air conditioning unit operates with a fan that ensures the even circulation or distribution of the cooled or warm air. In summary, an AC unit ensures that warm air or heat is being replaced with cooler air or otherwise and is targeted toward comforting a place’s occupants.
It is essential to know that air conditioning system usage is not limited to living things alone but non-living things, such as in a room with heat-producing devices like computers and amplifiers. Any system constructed to achieve heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is termed HVAC.
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How does AC work in a house
In simple terms, know that your AC works in the same manner as your refrigerator works. An air conditioner has three units that work together to replace the warm air in your room with cooler air. These are the compressor, condenser, fan, and evaporator. While the compressor, condenser, and fan are the external units, the evaporator is internal.
The internal unit has a coil box that contains an evaporator. The evaporator allows the refrigerant (the cooling fluid inside the coil pipe) to evaporate and absorb heat in your house. This sends cool air back to your home.
The external unit is where the heat from inside your house is dispersed. The heat absorbed from your house by the refrigerant is pumped to the external unit. As the refrigerant absorbs this heat, it moves through the compressor. This is the principal function of the compressor, moving the refrigerant throughout the AC system. In this manner, the fluid can be reused to cool your house.
The refrigerant is compressed to a higher pressure and passes through the condenser, another external unit. As it passes through, a fan distributes the air across the condenser coil, causing it to cool. With the completion of this process, the heat from your house is distributed outside your house. The refrigerant is pumped back, and the whole process is repeated
The function of Air Filter in the Air conditioner: What do Air filter do in a House
Does Air Conditioner Purify Air with the help of a filter? We would say Partially.
The air filter is an often overlooked component of the air conditioner. This component of the AC actually does have a great deal of work in ensuring that our AC can carry out its function of HVAC- heating, ventilation, and conditioning. Below is a description of how the air filter in our air conditioner carries out its function:
An air filter is made of a fiberglass material enclosed in a cardboard frame. Air filters are air cleaners that help purify the air. They function in keeping the air that circulates in your home and office clean by trapping many contaminants and particulate matters such as dust, dirt, bacterial and microorganisms, hair, and animal fur, that can result in adverse health conditions such as chronic asthma, bronchitis, and other breathing problem.
The air filter filters the air brought back into your HVAC system as the air is made to pass through the filter first, removing contaminants and maintaining clean air in your house or office.
The air filter has different cleaning abilities based on MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating. We determine the value on a scale of 1-16.
A higher MER value indicates higher air purification.
MERV 1-4: HVAC systems with air filters of 1-4 air low air cleaners
MERV 5-8: These filters purify the air better than the first. They are made from pleated cloth or paper to provide a larger surface for capturing particles
MERV 9-12: These are air filters with a relatively high quality that capture tiny particles. They help maintain clean air at an average scale
MERV 13-16: These air filters with standard air filters can purify the air of microns of 0.3. These have a higher efficiency than the above three.
However, there are filters with a higher MERV rating, but their thickness interferes with airflow into the HVAC system. While trying to maintain clean air, they obstruct the free flow of air provided by air conditioners.
Air Purifier vs air conditioner
This article will provide a clear difference between an air purifier and an air conditioner and outline the distinct functions of the two entities and the advantages of using one or a combination of both. You don’t need to be confused anymore!
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Air purifiers are majorly used for health reasons. An air purifier helps remove the pollutants that can cause health problems in your room, such as dust, smoke, bacteria, and more. The two air purifiers are the HEPA filter, which uses a dense filter to remove particles, and the ionizers, which use electrostatic means to remove particles.
Air conditioners provide comfort by replacing warm air with cooler air. They are not intended to function as a cleaning system, despite being frequently misunderstood. Combining air conditioning with an air filter can help cool a room or office while providing an atmosphere free of contaminants. It is important to note, however, that while air filters can provide some cleaning benefits, they do not provide true air purification and are only effective for a limited period of time.
Air purifier Air conditioner Combo: Can we use an air purifier with AC?
An air conditioning system may work to keep your home clean, but it cannot make it totally pollutant-free. Some manufacturers combine air conditioners with air filters. but as good as this combination is, Scientists associate it with some health risks, which may include:
- An air conditioner contains moisture, so it can accumulate molds, and molds if left unlearned, can trigger COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) for you and your loved ones at home
- The air conditioning filters trap the dust and particulates cleaned from your room. The cooling system can remove these particulates and circulate them back into your room
- Air conditioners can spread airborne diseases such as Legionnaire’s disease, which is an infectious disease
- The air filters in air conditioning cannot clean smaller particles that go unnoticed by the naked eye. This results in chronic breathing problems like asthma attacks and bronchitis.
Therefore, investing in an air conditioner alongside an air purifier is essential and safe. In this way, you can achieve an optimum cooling effect for your room and enjoy a clean atmosphere in your comfort zone. An air purifier and air conditioning perfectly combine safety and comfort!
Also Read: Best air purifier for smells
Final Verdict: Do air conditioners purify the air of pollution
Air conditioning system majorly functions in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Still, it is important to note that as good as these functions mentioned above are, they cannot purify polluted air in our homes. Air conditioners are used to achieve a comfortable interior environment for domestic and commercial purposes and for living and nonliving things.
Air conditioners too, when combined with air filters, cannot achieve the purpose of complete purification. Air filters work briefly by trapping the contaminants and particulate matter within them. This, too, has its negative effect because the trapped particles can be freed, thereby entering the atmosphere once again, this also is without some side effect.
Safety first! To this end, a perfect way you can enjoy the safety in your home with your loved ones without neglecting comfortable is to invest in an air conditioner and an air purifier. An air conditioner gives your room the cooling effect that you desire. An air purifier helps clean and eradicate all harmful microbes in the air spread in your room by the fan in the air conditioner. It also has the added advantage of reducing the health risks associated with air conditioners. An air conditioning system and an air purifier are a perfect duo!
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