Home Air Filters

The Importance Of Home Air Filters

The first factor you may want to consider is the material and style of the home air filter. This is extremely important to consider when gauging what kind of performance you will get out of the filter. Some of your cheaper filters may have layers made of fiberglass often covered by a “honeycomb” shaped grille. Pleated filters have a better performance rating because they provide a bigger area to trap particles. Many of them are electrostatically charged to aid in attracting the particles as they pass through the filter. Reusable filters are also offered which can be simply cleaned with water.

You may also want to take a look at the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). This measures the ability to trap particles from 3 to 10 microns in your home air filter. The higher the merv rating, the better the filter which usually stops at about a 12. This is a typical measuring system, but in certain cases some manufacturers may have their own merv rating system.

One last thing to consider is the size and shape of your home air filter. Depending on the size of the house, you may have to purchase a filter thicker in size. Most of the larger houses may require a home air filter four inches thick due to the amount of volume of air circulating in the home. The shape depends on where you are putting the filter. You may need to put it on a return vent in the floor, or just a simple room air conditioner.

For the most part, it is easy to find a home air filter. Keep these factors in mind, along with cleaning will ensure your air conditioning and heating unit keeps up to your expectations and requirements.