Electrostatic air filters

[bbrz]

A company I worked for years ago wanted to up sell to homeowners. Are they still an item? Anyone use them?How do the new ones today compare to a 1" pleated filter? Trash or gold.

 

[Jim greengo]

Are you talking about the old bug zapper/electronic filters?

 

[Kenstone1]

I used the cut-to-size e-static filters from Home Depot for many years on two former homes, one in florida, one in Idaho.
The home inspector growned when he saw that filter in the Florida house when I was selling it, and predicted the ducts were probably dirty and would need cleaning.

He had a fancy camera to inspect those ducts and spent a lot of extra time trying to find something that needed cleaning but never did.
I always had 2 so I could replace one quickly without having to clean it and wait for it to dry.

The filter where I live now is 4 inches thick and I'm not sure they make an e-static that thick.
I guess I could just build a 3 inch thick filler box or use 4 filters
Wait, maybe 2 filters and a 2 inch filler...
Your post has me thinking though, I'll look into it.
jmo,

Edit: these:
https://www.homedepot.com/s/electrostatic%20air%20filter?NCNI-5

 

[yeldogt]

I had them in another house --- from the ductwork and the dirt on the units ... they worked. Put them in the dishwasher

It seems the filters have taken over .... not that the filters are cheaper.

Mine get changed around 3x a year -- in bulk the better ones are pushing $30 --- so in a couple years the electrostatic are cheaper.

 

[Burl]

I have a Honeywell unit that is 20+ years old, is on the 2nd furnace, never a problem. Wash it out in the driveway with a hose a few times a year. The only thing that should be dirty will be the returns, they're naturally dusty.

 

[BillK]

I will second what Burl said. I think our Honeywell is also right at 20 years old. I stick it in the laundry sink with some Cascade dishwashing detergent 3 or four times a year and then hose it off. It also has some metal mesh prefilters that are like the ones used in range hoods. Do the same with them.

 

[diesel_dan]

We have two air handlers that had the e-stat filters on when we bought our house. I could never figure out if they were catching anything - even rinsing them on white paper towels to see if any dirt came off. Finally decided to go to pleated filters which definitely catch stuff and I can see it. My experience with them...

 

[Showkey]

We have two air handlers that had the e-stat filters on when we bought our house. I could never figure out if they were catching anything - even rinsing them on white paper towels to see if any dirt came off. Finally decided to go to pleated filters which definitely catch stuff and I can see it. My experience with them...

Similar experience in multiple homes withe electronic filter, the fins are first but not dusty.........in the process of replacing mine with 5” filter.

Think my wife will comment soon the dust is reduced without me asking.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Bug zappers are not the greastest for your health unless you have an ozone deficiency. Get the pleated filter that goes in the original eletrostatic cleaner hoising.

Tommy

 

[ratflinger]

I don't think the electronic ones are near as great as they claim. Read somewhere that the airflow is generally too high in residential units for them to really work. Thinking of going to one of those thick pleated ones