Those high tech air con filters?

[jaideeguy]

I've resisted buying into them for years, thinking they were just gimmicks but this year i am considering getting them for my aircons.

First, I have a few questions about them............

1] are they special sizes made for each model of AC?? [we have 3 different models] or is it just a material that you can cut and fit over the original filter?

2] Are they costly??

3] Where can you get them??

4] Are they noticeably effective??

5] How often do they have to be changed??

6] Which brand is best??

Thanks in advance for any info..................

[Greenside]

Assuming you are talking about the 3M Filtrate product.....

1. It comes in a sheet and you cut it to size with household scissors and then attach to the existing filter mesh frame with a small bit of double sided tape.
2. Not expensive - about 150 baht per unit if I recall
3. HomePro
4. Ours get dirty so they must be doing something right
5. I washed ours out once last season will change next year
6. 3M is the only one I know that it available here

Hope that helps.

[jaideeguy]

Yeah Green............thanks for the info. Any other brands that are available that will do the trick as good as 3M??

[jollyrog]

Greenside is correct in all that he says, I have been using 3M Filtrete for 5 years on all four of my a/c's. The two rooms I use most often (bedroom and exercise room) I never open the windows and the door only to enter and leave. I run the a/c's 3 hours each day not only to cool the room but to filter the air. I know it works as I changed the filters this past Jan and in checking them this morning they are black with filth already. I will change them again today.

If I wanted a completely clean room I would have to tape all windows and rubber seal the door.

3M Filtrete now comes in rolls similar to aluminum foil and as Greenside says easy to cut and install. I restocked at Home Pro, Hang Dong in January.

From experience the filth in the air will remain with us until the next good rain..........The smoke is just there to remind us of the hazards.

Jolly Roger

[JesseFrank]

1. Ours get dirty so they must be doing something right

Hope that helps.

My underwear also gets dirty, should I consider using it as an aircon filter, as it clearly does something right ?

[northernjohn]

1. Ours get dirty so they must be doing something right

Hope that helps.

My underwear also gets dirty, should I consider using it as an aircon filter, as it clearly does something right ?

Keep us informed.

[mat999]

You can also buy at Baan and Beyond in Airport Mall car park, 2 sizes available.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Dellboy218]

Big C Hangdong Road had 3M filtrette the other day with a 2nd pack for free attached, although admittedly a bit smaller than the main pack. Probably none left by now but might be worth looking.

[triffid]

Maybe this is a stupid question but can someone please elaborate on the fixing of the 3M sheet on the a/c filter? I suppose I have to take off the a/c cover - is that simple for all a/c s? And then just tape on the sheet cut to a suitable size? I have a newish Samsung.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ Yes.

You first take out the existing permanent filters and clean them.

Then you cut the Filtrete material to size, and attach to the outside of the permanent filters with the provided double sided tape thingies.

Then you insert back into the unit as usual, being careful to not wrinkle the whole deal like an old sock.

Check regularly; with current levels I think you're due to change in about a week. I have mine in there for two weeks now and will change tomorrow.

Another good thing is that it's VERY good at keeping the permanent filters incredibly clean. So replacing the material is easier as you don't need the step of cleaning the permanent filters.

Edited March 21, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[jaideeguy]

Good instructions Winnie.........so when you clean the permanent filters, do you just mean vacuuming them?? or washing them with soap and water?? only 2 weeks and throw away the 3Ms?? How much do they cost??

thanks,

JDG

[Thighlander]

The pros I know in Phoenix (50c) say use the cheap filters and change them often. The more expensive filters can obstruct the intake flow. After a month, they look clean, but a closer look will show you that they are loaded with micro dust particles. 5 packs were less than 5 usd.

[brommers]

My aircons have two stage filters. I vacuum and wash the coarse filters every month at this time of year and have the full system cleaned by Dragon Air Supply twice a year and the fine filters changed at that time. I do not think that adding another filter layer would be a good idea and could void the warranty on my units. I preferred a secondary air purifier at floor level to catch the materials that my high level aircon units will not attract. It is amazing how much coarse material is collected by both systems, especially in bedrooms.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Gonsalviz]

Tesco used to sell a cheap Japanese brand but I haven't seen in any stores for a long time. I prefer it bot no I am using the 3M filters

I cut it and put it against the evaporator core and then install the standard filters and clean them regularly. Makes more sense to me to catch the big particles in the screen mesh and let the fine material catch the smaller particles than to have the fine filter catching everything. Mine will be good for 6 months or more.

[zziffle]

I clean the built in plastic filters by taking them into the bathroom and blasting them with the bum gun. Works a treat.

You shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to swap out the 3M filter material when it discolours. The dirty filters are more effective than clean ones. Soot particles are oily, and the already-captured oily particles do a better job of grabbing onto new particles coming through than does the dry and clean material. Change the filters when you sense that they are significantly impeding air-flow. This information is extrapolated from a study done on the effectiveness of 3M face masks, which became more effective as they got dirty.

I've only ever seen single-sided tape in the Filtrette packs - never double-sided.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Good instructions Winnie.........so when you clean the permanent filters, do you just mean vacuuming them?? or washing them with soap and water?? only 2 weeks and throw away the 3Ms?? How much do they cost??

Both. Shake & Vacuum first, then wash in water if needed.

Don't know how much it costs but not expensive. Cheaper than hospital visits anyway.

[jaideeguy]

We just had our neighborhood aircon guy do his annual cleaning of our 4 units and I watched him quite closely, especially the filter servicing and observed that there was quite minimal dust on the filters and inside the whole units. In all fairness, we only use the main bedroom AC 2-3 hrs a day and the others less. Don't want to get too spoiled and our house is fairly cool and location is in a remote area with a lot of trees and ricefields, minimal traffic and nearest hiway is more than 5 k away. .

The AC man remarked on the fact that there wasn't much dust and I asked him about the 3M filters and he said that they can do more harm than good in restricting air flow and making the motors work harder. He is the head of Nyom Panich [sp] air con service center and knows his stuff and is a friend and neighbor so I trust his opinion.............just sayin'

Also, my wife is a clean freak and insists on swept and mopped floors daily as well as dusting all surfaces and catches a lot of dust that way.............again, just sayin'.

I think that if we were near the city and the pollution it would be a lot worse, so I'm going to go with using the standard filters and washing them once a month.

BTW...........his cleaning procedure was to blow off the loose dust and washing them gently with dish soap and blow drying them.

[Thighlander]

We just had our neighborhood aircon guy do his annual cleaning of our 4 units and I watched him quite closely, especially the filter servicing and observed that there was quite minimal dust on the filters and inside the whole units. In all fairness, we only use the main bedroom AC 2-3 hrs a day and the others less. Don't want to get too spoiled and our house is fairly cool and location is in a remote area with a lot of trees and ricefields, minimal traffic and nearest hiway is more than 5 k away. .

The AC man remarked on the fact that there wasn't much dust and I asked him about the 3M filters and he said that they can do more harm than good in restricting air flow and making the motors work harder. He is the head of Nyom Panich [sp] air con service center and knows his stuff and is a friend and neighbor so I trust his opinion.............just sayin'

Also, my wife is a clean freak and insists on swept and mopped floors daily as well as dusting all surfaces and catches a lot of dust that way.............again, just sayin'.

I think that if we were near the city and the pollution it would be a lot worse, so I'm going to go with using the standard filters and washing them once a month.

BTW...........his cleaning procedure was to blow off the loose dust and washing them gently with dish soap and blow drying them.

That's what they said in Phoenix, too. Good, clear intake is one of the most important parts of the system.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Do note that the 3M filter material does not obstruct air flow too much. (Completely not noticeable actually). You do of course need to replace it when it gets clogged up, that goes without saying. None of my air conditioners have trouble sucking in air and blowing out a nice breeze, and some of them are older/crappier Hitachi units.

[Awk]

We just had our neighborhood aircon guy do his annual cleaning of our 4 units and I watched him quite closely, especially the filter servicing and observed that there was quite minimal dust on the filters and inside the whole units. In all fairness, we only use the main bedroom AC 2-3 hrs a day and the others less. Don't want to get too spoiled and our house is fairly cool and location is in a remote area with a lot of trees and ricefields, minimal traffic and nearest hiway is more than 5 k away. .

The AC man remarked on the fact that there wasn't much dust and I asked him about the 3M filters and he said that they can do more harm than good in restricting air flow and making the motors work harder. He is the head of Nyom Panich [sp] air con service center and knows his stuff and is a friend and neighbor so I trust his opinion.............just sayin'

Also, my wife is a clean freak and insists on swept and mopped floors daily as well as dusting all surfaces and catches a lot of dust that way.............again, just sayin'.

I think that if we were near the city and the pollution it would be a lot worse, so I'm going to go with using the standard filters and washing them once a month.

BTW...........his cleaning procedure was to blow off the loose dust and washing them gently with dish soap and blow drying them.

I think one of the problems is that the fine particles (pm2.5 and), which are believed to be more harmful, do not quickly settle down on anything, but can remain in the air for a very long time (days and weeks). I suspect the daily cleaning will not necessarily reduce the amount of small particles in the room by any measurable amount.

I think it is also a good idea to consider that standard AC filters are usually designed to protect the AC itself from large stuff, not our lungs from very small particles, though it seems to do the latter also to some extent. Myself, I'd leave the 3M material on during this period, as even if the AC guy is right, which I suspect he is, I'd be less worried about a possibly premature repair/replacement of the AC engine than the other things.

[luther]

I cut and tape the the 3M filters on the outside of our 2 units. The filter inside the units cannot take the added thickness. The AC guy who services the units was here yesterday. I asked him if the added filters would restrict the airflow and make the unit work harder. He said no, definitely not as they are extremely porous. They turn black within a week. One roll costs about 300 baht and can cover one unit three times. I also bought an Hartari air purifier at Home Pro for 4,888 baht. (It comes with an extra filter) It has made breathing much easier.

That said, I will be leaving this time next year. I spend most of my time outdoors gardening, making art, etc. and these days are pretty worthless. I would hope that the pollution would be hitting some rich investors in the pocketbook to the extent where there was hope for a change, but then again, maybe the bad air is driving everyone to the new malls.

(Topic for another thread I guess.)

[Cheesekraft]

does anyone know where to buy these 3m Filtrete covers? Went by the 3M shop and they seemed confused that I would even ask if they had an AC filter (the Filtrete was what I was looking for) and they told me to go to the "aircon shop for that" and central had 3m filtrete machines but no filtres for AC. Any ideas? Thanks

Edited March 27, 2014 by Cheesekraft

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Home Pro.

[kimamey]

1. Ours get dirty so they must be doing something right

Hope that helps.

My underwear also gets dirty, should I consider using it as an aircon filter, as it clearly does something right ?

It depends. If you've only got one pair then no.