While they aren’t particularly flashy, air filters play an essential role in maintaining indoor air quality, as well as the efficiency and longevity of a home’s HVAC system over time.
Air filters trap dust and other particles that exist in the air flowing through a home’s heating and cooling system. This prevents debris from building up inside the HVAC system itself, but also reduces the amount of air pollutants that are present inside the home.
When you’re ready to replace your system’s air filters, it’s important to choose the right one for the job. But how?
Know Your System
Air filters come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Be sure you know the dimensions of the filter your system requires, as well as any manufacturer recommendations. The wrong fit will allow air to move through the system unfiltered, increasing the number of foreign particles in the air. It may also encourage build-up inside your ductwork, which will eventually impede airflow and reduce the system’s efficiency.
Find the Right MERV
MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is an industry-wide rating system used to identify an air filter’s ability to remove particles from the air as it flows through a furnace or air conditioner. Ratings for filters range from 1 to 16, with the lowest rankings (1-4) representing disposable, residential-only filters, and the highest rankings (13-16) being industrial filters used in hospital or clean-room environments.
At first glance, installing an air filter with a higher MERV rating might seem like the perfect way to improve your home’s air quality. If you have an older HVAC system, however, the strain of pushing air through a more dense air filter may damage your unit or reduce its lifespan. The filter you choose should have as high a MERV rating as possible, without reducing air flow or overwhelming your system as a whole.
Ask an Expert
If you’re still not sure which air filter to choose, check with the experts. At Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning, we can identify which filter is right for your system. Our technicians are here to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website.