Are you suffering from hay fever? Choose more efficient air-handling unit filters!
Almost one in four Europeans has hay fever. A study from Allergy UK reports that 49% of the UK have had hay fever symptoms, making it one of the most common allergies. As a result, it is not uncommon to wait anxiously for the blooming of the plants.
“Tree pollen occurs first, typically from February to June. The types of trees most likely to release pollen that triggers hay fever are alder, birch, hazel and horse chestnut. Tree pollen causing hay fever is usually released around the start of February, but if the weather is unusually mild, trees can start releasing pollen in January” (https://www.allergyuk.org/news/tree-pollen-season/). The blooming period and concentrations themselves are variable depending on wind direction, temperature and rainfall.
Indicative pollen season in the UK:
At peak times, it is advisable not to be outdoors, so a lot of time is spent indoors. Pollen concentrations can be easily monitored on popular weather apps.
In ventilation, pollen is classified as coarse particulate matter. Therefore, the more efficient G4 (Coarse) filter already captures a significant proportion of them, depending on the size of the pollen. However, for effective protection, a filter with a class not lower than M5 (ePM10) should be used. Some air-handling units (AHU or MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery)) are already fitted with more efficient M5 (ePM10), F7 (ePM2.5 – ePM1), F8 (ePM1) filters as a standard, which trap allergy-causing pollens. Among the more popular AHU equipped with such filters are:
– Airobot, Blauberg, Ensy, Flexit, Helios, Komfovent RHP, Recom, Systemair, SALDA (RIRS), Vaillant, Vallox, Zehnder (ComfoAir / ComfoD / ComfoAir Q), where supply air filters of class F7 or F8 (ePM1) are fitted as a standard.
– Komfovent Domekt / Verso, Oxygen X-Air air-handling untis where M5 (ePM10) filters are fitted as standard.
The other AHU are equipped with G3/G4 filters, but a more efficient filter is available:
– Brofer, Bink Sky, Mitsubishi and a few other AHU have the option to install an additional F7 (ePM1) class filter for pollen and smog particles.
– Brink (Renovent Excellent, Flair), Paul (Climos, Focus, Novus), Wolf (CWL, CWL-2), SALDA (Smarty XP) have the possibility to replace the G3/G4 supply air filter with a more efficient F7 (ePM1) filter.
Some of the economy class ventilation units do not have this option, such as the Electrolux EPVS, etc. there is no option to add a more efficient filter, but it is possible to order filters with an M5 grade material to protect against pollen.
So, if you have hay fever and are approaching a flare-up, check which filters have been installed and, if you need more effective filters or if your existing filters are clogged, order them quickly and conveniently CleanFilter.eu or CleanFilter.co.uk