Filters – Here, There, and Everywhere!

Thanks to COVID-19, filters are literally and figuratively, “right in our faces.”  Whether by choice or edict, we’ve been wearing these for almost two years.  But the myriad of face masks (i.e., face filters) we’ve been subjected to really sets the stage for talking about what filters can and can’t do (Fig. 1).

Our lives are filled with filters.  Try these for starters: air conditioner and car (engine and cabin) filters, oil filters, fridge filters, water filters, coffee filters (Fig. 2), food strainers (Fig. 3), window and lanai door screens, shower drain covers (Fig. 4), computer search and e-mail SPAM filters, airport security screeners, and more.  Even our nose hairs act as a filter.

Scientists, statisticians, mortgage lenders, and others care about filters, too.  Scientists and statisticians will try to filter out bad or questionable data, while mortgage lenders and credit card issuers want to ensure that those to whom they extend credit are credit-worthy.  As a meteorologist, I can attest to the fact that the myriad of computer models used to forecast the weather include many filters.  Perhaps the most important involves screening out bad (or at least questionable) weather data, lest it set the models on a crash course to failure.

I’m big on filters, especially those that affect the performance of things in my home, my car, and my family.  So, about a month ago, I noticed that my wife and I were experiencing more of that early morning sinus drip. From experience, I knew that it was time to change out our air conditioning filters.  Even though I have a scheduled replacement cycle, I date the filters I install as a backup to that schedule.  Although the filters were not overly dirty (they rarely are with a frequent replacement cycle), I installed new ones (Fig. 5 top – before and after). The next morning, our sinuses had calmed down again.

All filters have two things in common – they act to keep out undesirable things (e.g., pollutants, particles, and viruses of various sizes; possibly dangerous humans; computer viruses; or hackers) or they cut down the number or type of things you may be searching for online. Without filters, undesirables get into where we don’t want them.

The filter, whatever it is, must have some parameters by which to do the filtering.  In the case of airport security, identification and searches are the mainstays of filtering; for COVID masking, it is the tightness of the fabric (which defines the size of the particles that it prevents from passing through).  The typical surgical mask (Fig. 1) cannot prevent the passage of the COVID virus because the virus is so much smaller than the mask’s filtering capability.  Here’s an image (Fig. 6) showing the sizes of some really small particles that various household-type filters can “catch.”

To further improve air quality in our home, we just added a stand-alone whole-house NuWave® (https://www.nuwaveairpurifier.com/common/OXJTE26/index.asp  air purifying unit.  With its multi-stage filter system, the NuWave unit systematically filters out particles down to sizes of less than 0.09 microns (a micron is equal to 0.00003937 inches).  We are talking really small, here.

I’ll keep you informed about how useful / successful this air filtering unit proves to be.  After a month in action, it has definitely helped to lessen (although not eliminate) many of our sinus issues.

With filters in mind, I recalled that, several years back, my refrigerator was experiencing some unusual temperature swings. I used my infrared thermometer to double-check the fridge door display readings (just in case the problem may have been within the fridge’s thermostat). When that checked out, it was time to move the fridge away from the wall and perform a dust check. Ouch, here. I didn’t have a schedule to perform this task and the dust accumulation was clearly the culprit.  I vacuumed the dust and ensured that the intake vents (which included a dust filter) were clear. Then my wife and I carefully guided the fridge back into its place (making sure any water hoses were not broken or crimped in the process).

Two days later, the temperature fluctuations ceased.

Of course, vacuum cleaners of all types and sizes (Fig. 7) and hair dryers (Fig. 8), all come with one or more filters.  I even had to create a MacGyver-type, makeshift filter (strainer and paper towel insert), to salvage a bottle of wine, after a cork broke and infiltrated the wine (Fig. 9).

While writing this piece, our kidneys, leaf gutter filters, dryer lint filters, and even storm drain slatted covers came to light.  I am sure that you can add to the growing list.  Just remember that anything that gets clogged or whose filtering capabilities are not working at peak performance can open the way for problems.

Filtersfast.com (a nationwide online air filter sales company) noted at their website (https://www.filtersfast.com/) that “…While many people worry about outdoor air quality, statistics show that they actually should be more concerned about indoor air quality (IAQ). IAQ is the measure of harmful pollutants discovered within or around your home. The EPA ranks IAQ as one of the top five public health risks (link – https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality).

With all of this “filtering” in mind, I’d like to note that October (still many months away) is officially National Healthy Lung Month – https://nationaltoday.com/healthy-lung-month/.  But, why wait until then to get atop your AC filters and any other filters that may be in your home, car, or business.  Just make every month a Healthy Lung Month.  And also make every day a day filled with appreciation for all the filters that we have in our lives.

© 2022 H. Michael Mogil

Originally posted 3/4/22

* The National Weather Association Digital Seal (NWA-DS) is awarded to individuals who pass stringent meteorological testing and evaluation of written weather content.  H. Michael Mogil was awarded the second such seal and is a strong advocate for its use by weather bloggers.