Air handling units, or AHUs, are an important part of any building’s structure and the comfort of those within. It is responsible for regulating and circulating air throughout the building, incorporating ventilation, as well as heating and cooling. In many of these systems, an important element of maintaining good air quality is also incorporated into the AHU through addition of an AHU filter.
Selecting the right AHU filter for your building and specific air handling system requires knowledge and consideration. Before purchasing or installing a filter into your AHU system, you need to know how to evaluate which ones will work well for your applications, air contamination levels, and system specifications. This article will give you some tips on what to look for in any AHU filter.
What is an AHU Filter?
The air handler element of this system is a large metal box that is connected to the ventilation system of your building. Inside this box is where your various heating, air conditioning, and filtration systems are housed, along with a blower to circulate air through the various elements used to maintain certain qualities in your indoor air. This is where your AHU filter should be installed.
The filter elements within your AHU are the part of the system that prevents dust and airborne contaminants from getting into the building. They remove many varieties of contaminants from the air to provide improved indoor air quality that can help in promoting good health for workers, preventing equipment erosion, stopping the spread of airborne diseases, and removing any unpleasant odors.
Primary AHU Filter
There are two elements to the various AHU filters you could choose for your system. The first element is the primary filter, which has a pleated panel design. Fibre filter media is held in place with a wire mesh. Primary filters typically have a longer lifespan and are your first line of defense against airborne particles.
They catch dust in the air, reducing the amount to as little as four microns and preventing any of these particles from settling on internal fans or heating and cooling elements within your system. Primary filters can prolong the life of your secondary filters, which are typically much more expensive, so it is important to ensure that you have a high quality primary AHU filter.
Secondary AHU Filter
Secondary AHU filters are bag filters that are made from synthetic materials, which catch pollen, bacteria and smaller dust particles. To maintain high safety standards in your building, make sure that your secondary filters are made from synthetic media rather than glass fibre media, which can shed from the filter and cause health problems if it makes its way into any food. Synthetic media is equally as effective in purifying the air, will not harm the environment, and is shatter-proof.
