A filter in the air conditioner (AC) helps in improving the air quality by filtering it from dust, dirt, and other debris. A filter can be present in every AC, from the ones in the houses to those in the vehicles. The question: Can an AC work without a filter?
Following the question, you may ask, what are the risks if I run my AC without a filter? What are the health benefits that I will reap if the filter is present in my AC? So, these are why we are here: To answer your questions regarding an AC and a filter.
Before we dig deeper into the answers to your questions, we’ll cover up how does a filter work in an AC system.
How does a filter work in AC?
A filter slot in the AC system is placed between the areas for taking the cold air from a place (can be rooms or vehicles) inside the AC and the areas for outwardly registering the heated air to the whole place.
The cold air that becomes the input in the AC system still contains many types of harmful substances that can affect people’s health, including dust, dirt, mold and spores, strands of hairs and furs, and more. This way, the filter comes to play by eliminating the substances before it lets the air “exhale” to the whole place.
The processes in eliminating the unwanted substances depend on the efficiency levels of the filter. The efficiency levels are named as the MERV rating, and they range between 1 (the lowest) to 16 (the highest). The higher the number, the more effective the filter in serving the main purpose, which is, to improve the air quality of the AC.
Can an AC work without a filter?
In the previous point, we’ve learned that a filter always has the MERV rating. In addition to that, an ideal filter should have around a 7-10 MERV rating, not too high, and not too low.
Conversely, an AC won’t work well if you don’t include a filter in it. Note: This doesn’t mean an AC can’t work at all if there are no filters in the AC. Sure, you can decide to not include the filter. Yet, the risks can be equal to, if not riskier than, having a filter with the MERV rating that is too high.
We’re going to write down the risks you may experience if you choose your AC not to be coupled with a filter over the next points.
What are the risks if you run your AC without a filter?
A filter’s main function is to purify and improve the quality of air that is produced by your AC. So, this is why many AC companies include the filter along with their AC products.
Still, if you choose not to have a filter with your AC (perhaps because some of the filters can be costly), you should mind the risks that we state in this point as follows:
Your Places Will Be Full Of Unwanted Substances
Unwanted substances, such as strands of hairs or animal furs, molds, and more, are more likely to be harder to clean when a filter is not present in your AC.
After all, it is a filter’s job to remove those unwanted substances so it can help your AC in getting the clean air as the output. So, if your AC doesn’t have a filter, your places will be full of those unwanted substances.
Insects Will Be Running Everywhere In Your Places
Roaches and ants are among two insects that love to roam everywhere you go. Roaches especially love it when your places are full of unwanted substances. The same also goes for ants that favor unclean places.
Those insects won’t only be running everywhere in your places. There are also chances they will enter your AC unit and breaks it, sometimes even unnoticed.
Your AC Will Easily Break Down Before It Ages
An ideal AC will only experience dysfunction or break down if it has reached the maximum age limits. In such cases, you’ll need to repair or maintain your AC. Yet, there are also cases when your AC can break down even before it ages.
Such cases will be more likely to happen when your AC doesn’t have an attached filter. Since your environments are full of unwanted substances and insects, your AC can break down easily before it reached the maximum age limits.
You Will Experience More Serious Health Problems
An AC’s main purpose is to bring you high-quality air to breathe so you don’t suffer from various severe health problems. This also applies to every component that an AC has, including but not limited to a filter.
So, if your AC doesn’t have a filter, you will experience more serious health problems, such as lung diseases, pneumonia, frequent coughs, sore eyes, dry and aging skin, and more.
What are the health benefits, if the filter is present in your AC?
If you choose to have a filter be present in your AC, good news! There are tons of health benefits you can reap from there. These are the health benefits:
Can Free You From Lung Diseases
As your filter works well in filtering the quality of the air outputs from your AC, you get fresher breaths all around you. As a result, you can be free of lung diseases as well as other related diseases, such as pneumonia.
Can Get You A Healthier Skin
Having a filter present in your AC doesn’t only give you the health benefits for your internal organs. Your skin will also get healthier, be more radiant, shinier, and appears younger than your biological age when you choose to have a filter with your AC.
So, the answer to the question: “Can an AC work without a filter?” is yes, but, there are risks to bear if you choose to do so. Therefore, make sure you have a filter with your AC, so you can reap the health benefits.
You should also repair and maintain your AC’s filter whenever possible, so the ability to create a healthy environment will remain.
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