It seems like a fairly easy decision when you’re standing at the hardware store or ordering online – a filter is a filter is a filter, right? Well, wrong. Choosing the correct filter for your furnace and your family can dramatically improve the cleanliness and smell of your home while keeping your family healthier and more comfortable.
First, make sure your furnace filter is the correct size for your furnace.
Placing a filter that’s too small by width or height means that dirty air is getting around the filter, putting strain on your furnace parts and blowing that dirty air all around your home. If your furnace requires a 4” deep filter and you’re only using a 1” filter, you’re causing the same problem. A filter that’s too large and overhangs the opening also means that dirty air is entering the system because the fit is not snug. Not sure what size filter you need for maximum benefit? Call our office with the make and model of your furnace and we’ll be happy to confirm the size for you.
Who’s MERV?
He’s not an old talk show host! MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value, rating the effectiveness of air filters. Filters with a higher MERV rating remove more contaminants and dust particles from your air. The MERV scale is 1-16. An alternative is MPR, which stands for micro-particle performance rating with a scale of 300-1900. Only 3M/Filtrete filters use an MPR. Another alternative, FPR stands for Filter Performance Rating. It’s used only on filters sold by Home Depot.
MERV is the universal standard and accounts for particles from 0.3 to 10 microns.
Now I’m more confused!
We’ll help. If you’re looking for maximum furnace efficiency and clean indoor air, purchase a filter with a MERV rating of 7-8. You’ll be capturing about 80-95% of particles that are 5 microns or larger.
But dust makes me crazy and my kids have allergies!
We get it. We like a really clean house too – and love when our family is not itching, sneezing and miserable. For you, consider a high-efficiency pleated filter, with a MERV rating of 11 or higher. Pleats catch more particles and these filters will eliminate 99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in your household air. That’s super clean indoor air, helping to drastically reduce allergens and keeping your family more comfortable. Always contact your HVAC technicians if you consider switching to a high-efficiency filter.
Why wouldn’t everyone use a high MERV rating?
High-efficiency filters make your furnace blower work harder, which costs you more money in energy. Older furnaces may not be able to handle the reduced air flow caused by a high-efficiency filter. Clogged filters can burn out the blower motor and damage your heat exchanger.
What can I do to avoid this and still have cleaner air?
Schedule an appointment with us. We’ll match your furnace to a high-efficiency filter and we’ll adjust the fan speed to work better with a reduced air flow. Avoiding clogged filters is easy; change your filter each month and check it frequently during allergy and pollen season.
Still not sure if changing your furnace filter is a good idea?
Call us at 708-479-9350. We are always here to examine your equipment and match a filter to meet your needs – for any combination of a clean house, healthier air and energy efficiency!
DID YOU KNOW?
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