HEPA filters remove impurities that ruin air quality and cause odors and illness. Learn how your building benefits from the help of these advanced commercial air filters.
What Is a HEPA Air Filter?
HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air filters, are used in areas that require a lot of contamination control. They use a straining process to remove at least 99.97% of harmful airborne particles, allowing for better indoor air quality. High occupancy buildings such as offices, hospitals, and industrial facilities benefit from these advanced commercial air filters.
A HEPA filter is made of a pre-filter, an electrostatic precipitator, a carbon filter, and a fan. As impurities and pollutants like dust mites, pet dander, allergens, and tobacco smoke float through the atmosphere, the filter traps them. The particles get trapped inside the pre-filter first, then the fan pushes out purified air.
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Studies conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirm higher levels of pollutants in some indoor environments outside. The EPA also ranks indoor pollutants as one of the top environmental health issues our country faces.
Poor air quality results in sickness and missing work since employees are breathing in impurities. However, improved indoor air quality results in higher productivity and fewer workdays lost due to illness.
How Often Should HEPA Filters Be Replaced?
Depending on the building’s unique environmental factors, air conditioner filter replacement varies. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to replace HEPA filters every 6-12 months. Facilities that use filters past their recommended timeframe risk circulating poor-quality air. Inhaling these particles could cause watery eyes, coughing, or sneezing. Dirty HEPA filters also trigger asthma-related symptoms when they’ve gone too long without being switched out. That’s why commercial air filter changing services are so important. Certified technicians ensure your new HEPA filter is installed correctly and on time to result in optimum functionality and the continual flow of fresh air.
Where Do Indoor Pollutants Come From and How Do I Reduce Them?
While air pollutants are associated with smog or car emissions, they still find ways to creep inside your building—and when they do, the dangers are much worse. Pollutants are generated by indoor and outdoor sources that are necessary and sometimes unavoidable, such as building maintenance protocols, pest control, housekeeping, remodeling or renovations, and building occupant activities. Here are a few ways to minimize indoor impurities:
Keep the Environment Cleaned Regularly
Vacuuming, wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes, and using germ-killing sprays reduce the levels of airborne particles—these precautions rid the area of allergens and keep them from thriving within your building.
Control Indoor Humidity
Too much moisture flowing through airways leads to the growth of biological pollutants like mold, fungus, and mildew. If you begin to notice a foul odor, that is an indicator that your airways need professional cleaning before the issue worsens.
Use an Air Purifier
Again, utilizing a HEPA air filter minimizes your chances of getting sick due to the recirculation of unclean air within your building. Air filters are low maintenance, and they eliminate the majority of environmental contaminants.
Breathe Easy With Air Comfort’s Solutions
Air Comfort has served the Chicagoland area since 1935. We provide technologically advanced HVAC services. We prioritize stellar customer service, providing each client with practical solutions to their problems in a friendly and efficient manner.
Our industry-leading heating and cooling expertise save you time and money. We believe in our knowledge and innovations regarding HVAC insight, construction, installation, and maintenance. We cover every base in the industry, from retrofitting to emergency services, and will remain Illinois’s go-to problem solvers for its HVAC requirements and concerns. Give us a call today and breathe a sigh of relief.
