1. Can you explain ASHRAE/MERV Test Data?

Air filter manufacturers have their products independently tested in order to validate claims of performance. Industry wide, the ASHRAE Test Standard is the method of choice for most types of air filters. NAFA (National Air Filtration Association) has put together a good piece of literature that covers questions regarding how the 52.2 and MERV test standards compare. MERV test (52.2) does not show Arrestance Efficiency nor does it show a dust loading curve like 52.1 does. ASHRAE retired 52.1 completely, and added those components to 52.2. MERV tells you a minimum efficiency at a certain particle size. If what you want is performance in situ (that is during the process of getting loaded up with dust) you need to look at the Arrestance Efficiency percentage and the Dust Holding Capacity, plus loading curves. Our DustEater, HFA, DuraFoam and DuraLoft are the only MERV 5 and MERV 6 washable filters being marketed. Because the MERV rated filters are all disposable, they will have a costly lifetime cost of replacement which ours won’t. NAFA Brochure PDF
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2. Do your products carry UL Certification?

Effective May 31, 2012, the Standard for Air Filter Units, UL 900. The separate Class 1 and Class 2 requirements have been removed from UL 900. All filters tested to UL 900 will now only have to meet what were the Class 2 requirements. All currently Classified filters are considered to comply with the test requirements. Permatron UL Card PDF
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3. Do your products have FMVSS302 Certification?

Our polypropylene, foam and DuraLoft polyester media carry the FMVSS302 certification. Flammability of Interior Materials. Polypropylene FMVSS302 PDF
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4. Why use polypropylene versus other media?

  • Properties: Washable
  • Easy to clean smooth fibers
  • Woven Synthetic Fiber
  • No fiber shedding like nonwovens or blown fibers
  • Heat Resistant — Environments up to 250 degrees
  • Heat treated against shrinkage
  • UL Classified as to Flammability Only
  • Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Specification – FMVSS302
  • Impervious to Harsh Conditions
  • UV protected in black
  • Nonreactive to chemicals/corrosive environments
  • Nonporous – won’t absorb from environment
  • Imbedded in fiber – won’t wash out
  • Continuous protection of filter surface – 5 year testing
  • Filtration Properties
  • Very low resistance to airflow (.02-.04 in. w.g.)
  • Variety of weaves available for increased fiber surface area
  • No need to replace – single cost
  • Electrostatic properties enhance particle capture — static electricity, by definition, does not flow like current, and therefore can not be discharged into a filter frame or the environment; electrostatic media has an inherent charge which is enhanced by any amount of air flow and never loses this ability.
  • Applications
  • FDA approved for food processing applications
  • Condenser fin protection – Refrigeration/Freezer systems
  • HVAC/R equipment at the OEM level
  • HVAC/R equipment in Residential/Commercial/Industrial applications
  • Equipment protection for electronics, telecommunications, transportation

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5. What is the average lead time for a custom air filter solution?

The average custom air filter solution can be designed and manufactured within 7-10 business days. Permatron offers a Flexible Manufacturing Process (FMP). Engineering, purchasing, production and credit coordinated to establish credit, provide prototypes and deliver 900+ CUSTOM filters in six business days based on an OEM’s emergency production schedule.
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6. Do you offer OEM Aftermarket Program management?

Yes we do offer an aftermarket program. Some OEM customers have an aftermarket department already established to sell replacement filters and stock them. Others do not and request that we stock the part. Each OEM filter is manufactured with a label that displays a specific part number that begins with a four digit customer code. When calls come to us requesting to repurchase that part we are able to refer them to your OEM aftermarket department or you can issue us a purchase order and we will drop ship the filters to your customer for you.
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7. What is the difference between FPM/CFM air flow?

When testing an air filter’s effectiveness, a specific air flow rate is passed through a clean filter, usually 300 FPM or 1200 CFM. The FPM to CFM Ratio is 1:4.
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8. Do you provide OEM air filter design prototypes for testing and approval processes?

Permatron works with your engineers to design a filtration system that meets your specs. Then we custom manufacture a prototype that you can test on your equipment in your facility. The cost? Free. The average custom air filter solution can be designed and manufactured within 7-10 business days.
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9. Can you provide me with a Private Label Program?

Yes, we offer private label programs. We can help you design and print labels/packaging components or you can supply us with your own materials and we can include them on every order before they ship out. A drop ship option to your customers is also available.
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10. Will electrostatic filters work in humid environments?

Electrostatic air filtration is based on a combination of impingement and charged particle attraction. This means that electrostatic air filters catch and hold dirt/dust particles by effectively blocking their path and also by utilizing charged particle attraction to enhance the dirt holding abilities of the media.

Electrostatic (or piezoelectric) charge can be induced in media by various methods. In the case of washable electrostatic filters, the piezoelectric charge is a characteristic of the synthetic media and can not be lost over time. Electrostatic charge is just that – static. It does not ground out like an electrical current, and is consistently enhanced by air flow over the media. In fact, we strongly recommend that users make sure to run the recirculation fan for best performance.

Our electrostatic air filters are utilized daily in humid applications such as on commercial ships and ferries and ocean oil rigs. In addition they are regularly used worldwide in all manner of climate.

More specifically, our DustEater® air filters have been used in humid applications for more than 20 years. They have been popularly sold in all of the seaboard and southern states where humidity is consistently high and never has a filter been returned to us for not working in a humid environment.
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11. Will electrostatic filters work in marine/salt environments?

Salt is not a particulate. It is essentially dissolved in the air and it makes the air corrosive. We do not make any claims to remove salt. There is no way to do it, there is no data to support it, nor any air filtration test to show it. We make corrosion resistant filters for marine applications. We do not remove salt.
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