subject: Choosing The Right Air Filter [print this page] Air filters in your home are important for keeping the air in your home clean. There are many different types of filters to choose from, so this article has some basic information about filters that can help you decide which one will be most beneficial for you.
Most homes have a variety of particles in the air that come from things like dust on the floors, counters, furniture, and other surfaces in your home; dust from smoking, cooking, and running appliances like your dryer; particles of skin, nails, hair, and fur from you and your pets; and particles from the outside that come in through windows and doors. Most of these things are small enough that you would not be able to see them, but if you have spores, bacteria, or viruses floating around your home you are constantly at risk of inhaling them and experiencing respiratory problems as a result. Whenever you and your family are actively moving around the house, you are stirring those particles around.
Air filters are designed to trap some of these particles thus reducing the amount of dust and spores that you are exposed to in the air of your home. When you go to your local home improvement store to purchase a filter, you may see a MERV rating on the filters, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This is a measure of how well the filter traps particles that range in size from 3.0 to 10.0 microns, and the higher the MERV rating, the better it is at filtering particles. Since this rating is an industry standard, you can use it to compare different brands of filters from different manufacturers.
Generally the most inexpensive air filters are disposable fiberglass filters. They are designed to block large dust and dirt particles and will protect your furnace from getting clogged up with these large particles in the air. However, they are not generally designed to catch smaller items like pollen or mold, which can cause allergies and other reactions if they are in the air in your home.
You can also purchase washable electrostatic air filters. They have a static charge in order to make them attract the particles like dirt and dust, and in some cases are more effective than the disposable filters. Since they are washable, you can reuse them without purchasing a new one and potentially save some money.
If you or your family suffers from allergies, you may want to consider purchasing pleated air filters or high efficiency pleated filters. These are made up of much denser material that can trap more particles, and with the pleats in the design it also has a lot more surface area on which to trap the particles, thus increasing the effectiveness of catching large and small items like dirt, dust, pollen, and mold.
No matter which type of filter you choose, it is important to change or clean your filter regularly, or about once a month. Choose one that will work with your furnace filter, and make sure you get the right size. The right filter will benefit you by keeping your home at optimal air quality, and can also prevent your furnace from getting clogged with dust and dirt (which is one of the most common reasons people have to call a service technician for furnace repair).
Choosing the right air filters for your home is important to maintain clean, fresh air in your home and help keep your furnace running at its peak level at all times.
