How to Determine If Asbestos Is on Your Air Cleaner Filter

Asbestos is a chemical that is fire-resistant. It is a type of fiber still commonly used in the manufacturing of numerous goods, including floor tiles, cement products, automobile parts, textiles and roofing shingles. Exposure to asbestos fibers increases your risk of developing lung disease. Disease symptoms may take many years to develop following exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers can also be picked up by air cleaner filters. Using an asbestos-contaminated air filter can spread asbestos throughout your home. If you suspect your air cleaner filter has asbestos fibers, you should collect a sample using an asbestos home-testing kit and send it to a laboratory for analysis.

Things You'll Need

• Dust mask
• Gloves
• Asbestos test kit
• Sponge

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Instructions

• 1

  Purchase an asbestos do-it-yourself home kit. You can find these kits at your local hardware store or you can purchase one online.

• 2

  Turn off any ventilation systems such as fans and air conditioners. These appliances can blow asbestos fibers around the house.

• 3

  Wear a dust mask and gloves before collecting the sample from the air cleaner filter.

• 4

  Wet the air cleaner filter lightly. Wipe the filter with a damp sponge. Wet asbestos fibers are much less likely to become airborne than dry ones.

• 5

  Use the collection tool found in the kit and scrape a small sample from the air cleaner filter. Place the sample in the container that came with the kit and tightly seal it.

• 6

  Cover the part of the cleaner filter where you removed a sample with a small piece of duct tape to prevent further spread of asbestos fibers. Avoid using the air cleaner until you find out the asbestos testing is negative.

• 7

  Send the sample to the address written on the instruction leaflet for laboratory analysis. Make sure to read the packaging instructions before sending.

• 8

  Wait for the results of the asbestos analysis. Continue using your air cleaner and filter if the test comes back negative. If however, the test comes back positive, you should contact a professional contractor to help you repair or remove the asbestos from the air cleaner. Do not attempt to clean the air filter on your own in order to avoid spreading the asbestos fibers.