Choosing the Right Air Filter for Your Home

Choosing the right air filter for your home can help you achieve better indoor air quality. It can also improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. Most HVAC system manufacturers make recommendations as to the filters you should use with your system as well as the ones you should avoid. Not using the right one can harm your system and even cause it to fail prematurely. Here’s a closer look at tips for choosing the right air filter for your Woosley, Georgia, home.

What Is a MERV Rating?

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value — the higher the MERV rating a filter has, the better it does at capturing tiny particles, like dust, dirt, and pet dander. A MERV rating can range from 1 to 20. If you get a filter that has a rating of 17 to 20, this means it is considered a High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter. These filters are most common in commercial HVAC settings such as hospitals.

Although HEPA filters do a great job at keeping your home’s air clean, they restrict air flow to the HVAC system, causing it to consume large amounts of energy. Even more important to note is that not all HVAC systems are compatible with HEPA filters. You should always check with your manufacturer’s recommendations before automatically using a HEPA filter.

Types of Filters

Within this range, you have the option to use a fiberglass, pleated, polyester, or washable filter. Fiberglass and reusable filters aren’t often recommended because they have a MERV rating of 4 or less and only remove about 10% of indoor air pollution. Pleated and polyester filters are much more effective and come with MERV ratings between 8 and 12. They remove 70% to 85% of indoor air pollution and are your best bet with a standard HVAC system.

Contact Trinity Air Inc. Heating and Air Conditioning at (770) 285-1990 today to learn more about choosing the right air filter for your home and how it impacts energy savings and indoor air quality.

Image provided by Shutterstock