Disadvantages of “Throwaway” Air Filters

”Throwaway” Panel Air Filters are documented to provide less than 8% actual ASHRAE filtration efficiency.  This makes them unsuitable for any purpose other than pre-filtering or screening out the largest airborne debris. Many in the HVAC industry call them "bugs and birds" air filters. Due to the coarse composition and spacing of the fiberglass media, throwaways are not even technically classified as filters, but instead work on the principle of particle impingement:

Ø      With impingement, dirt particles are only captured if they directly strike and attach to a fiberglass fiber, leaving other particles to pass right through the mostly open pores. One of the easiest ways to demonstrate the inefficiency of throwaway panel air filters is to actually pour a packet of sugar onto the filter and watch the sugar pass right through it! Now imagine the dirt and other particulates passing through your panel air filters and heading for your HVAC coils and eventually your occupied building space.

Ø      Captured dirt at the forward side of the fiberglass media will eventually build up to the point where it reaches its maximum limit. Additional particulates will then dislodge the previously captured dirt downstream. Under conditions where captured particulates actually span the fibers and increase the dirt loading, the panel filter media can actually collapse into the fan itself.

Ø      Throwaway Panel Air Filters also dump much of the little dirt they do collect as soon as they are changed, handled, or are in any way disturbed - leaving the dumped dirt behind to be redistributed into the air handling system.

Ø      An additional concern is the adhesive used to bond the fiberglass media to the throwaway panel filter frame. The components of the adhesive can often act as a growth medium for mold and other micro-organisms.

Upgrade to Air-Care Permanent Filters

The simple solution - upgrade your “throwaway” panel air filters to Air-Care Permanent Filters! Changing from throwaways to Air-Care Filters is both easy and cost effective. With an average efficiency of 94%, Air-Care Filters outperform most pleated filters and are far superior to the 8% average efficiency of throwaway panels.

Air-Care Permanent Filters can be installed in any filter rack or holding track as long as you choose the same depth as your current throwaway panel filter. But, unlike that inefficient panel air filter, which may require monthly changing, the cleaning cycle for your Air-Care Filter will be much longer - approximately six months based on pressure drop.  

• Higher Efficiency – Air-Care permanent Filters have an 94% efficiency rating.
• Increased Energy Efficiency - Air-Care Permanent Filters maintain cleaner coils & greater heat transfer.
• Reduced Housekeeping Costs – Less dust, cleaner walls, ceilings, furnishings, etc.
• Lower Shipping Costs - Filter consumption is eliminated reducing shipping costs to only your initial purchase.
• Less Storage Room - Air filter inventory and handling costs are eliminated.
• Decreased Health Hazard - Air-Care Permanent Filters deliver greater particulate capture, fewer IAQ complaints, and do not promote bacterial growth.
• Increased Filter Life – Used as pre-filters, Air-Care Filters extend the life of expensive bag filters,  HEPA filters, and activated carbon filters.
• Reduced Maintenance – Air-Care Permanent Filters maintain cleaner motors and equipment components.
• Reduced Labor – Recommended cleaning cycle for Air-Care Permanent Filters based upon pressure drop is every six months under normal conditions.
• Immediate Savings - Air-Care Permanent Filters pay for themselves very quickly!