Anti-allergy filter for minisplit
stickerbush
| Posted in General Questions on
We have a Mitsubishi minisplit heat pump, indoor unit is MSZ-GL24NA. The unit has 2 tpes of filters, one is designated as an “electrostatic anti-allergy enzyme filter”. Part number is MAC-2310FT-E. The manual recommends replacing these filters (there are 2) every year. The cost is around $70 for 2 filters. I have two questions.
1) Are these filters very effective? I see a little bit of dirt on them but not as much as on the larger platinum filter.
2) Do they really need to be replaced every year or can they just be washed when they get dirty?
Regards,
Mark
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Replies
Hey Mark.
Seems to me that $70 per year to keep your indoor air quality high and your equipment running efficiently is money well spent, but I don't have experience with these units or filters. So, I'm giving your post a bump to see what other GBA members have to say.
If only it were $70. I have seven of these in my house. You're supposed to replace the $70 "enzymatic" filter every three months. The bigger ones are about $50 and are yearly.
And these actually catch very little of the particulate. To really clean it you have to get inside to clean the roller. That's where the dust accumulates.
I also question what enzymes are involved. If it was proven technology wouldn't other companies offer "enzymatic" filters?
Here's what Mitsubishi says: During the second stage, common allergens like dust, pollen and dust mites are decomposed by artificial enzymes, which break down allergen proteins into non-allergen proteins. This complicated process involves the destruction of the undesirable proteins' S-S bonds. To put this in perspective, the filter attacks particles a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. The result is healthier, purer air – which contributes to overall health.
I'm not convinced this is real. I'm looking for a cut to fit filter.
Mark,
The only way to tell if this filter is effective is if somebody is sensitive to the pollen and mold that it filters. If nobody has any allergies, there is not much point in changing the filter. The reason for the yearly replacement is that it contains an active ingredient, washing the filter won't restore this.
My mini split has an electrostatic filter and it makes no difference for ragweed symptoms. A MERV 13 filter on my ERV on the other hand makes a big difference.
Thanks for the advice Akos.
-Mark