How does a home air conditioner air filter work?
Air conditioners recirculate air through the home. Air filters, which remove dust, debris and toxins from this recirculated air, are essential, both for proper function of the air conditioner and to keep the air clean.Basic Air ConditioningThe operation of a home air conditioner is fairly simple. A compressor within the air-conditioning unit cycles Freon (a trademarked name for chlorofluorocarbon gas), raising its temperature. The gas runs through a series of coils, cooling and condensing along the way. In a liquid state, the Freon is piped through an expansion valve, in which it evaporates, expands, and cools. The cold gas is pumped through a set of coils that absorb the heat from the surrounding air, cooling it.Basic FiltrationA fan then distributes this cool air from an air handler unit and via a series of sealed ducts through the home. (Window units combine the heating and cooling coils in a single housing, and don’t use air handlers.) Before the air actually circulates through the
