You may not think much about it, but your home is a breeding ground for mold, mildew and contaminants of all kinds. And, one of the places these health hazards like to grow is inside your heating and cooling systems. Ductwork, coils and other components can capture dirt, dust and pollen, and spread them around your home through your forced air system. This creates unhealthy conditions for both the occupants and the system itself.
This is why your filters are so important to your indoor air quality and your system. Filters capture harmful particulates so that they can’t escape into your indoor air. They also help extend the life of your HVAC equipment by preventing dirt and debris from clogging up system components. Properly installed filters that are correct for your system will help keep the air inside your home clean and keep your system operating efficiently.
There are four main types of filters. The best way to determine which ones are best for you is to have us come out and do an air flow measurement on your system. This is important because the wrong filters can restrict air flow and cause a pressure drop that damages your HVAC equipment. We can recommend the correct filters for your needs.
The different types of filters are designed to handle different kinds of particulates:
1. Low efficiency- These filters are made to capture particles that are 50 microns or larger. Examples would be dust and larger-size pollens. Since they can’t handle very small particles and contaminants, they are generally used to protect fans, coils and ducts from dust and dirt buildup. They also can be installed as pre-filters to keep large particles of dust from reaching higher efficiency filters.
2. Medium efficiency- Medium efficiency filters capture up to 95% of particles that are 5 microns or larger, which includes small pollens and large bacteria. Most commercial building filters are in this group. These filters are usually pleated and pocket filters, which have a larger filtering surface than one that is flat facing the air stream. This provides more filtering capability for your system.
3. High efficiency- High efficiency filters capture almost 100% of particulates that are 0.3 microns or larger. These are smaller particulates that lower efficiency filters can’t handle. Examples are bacteria, about 50% of the viruses, and most fumes. These are often called electronic air cleaners, and are available for residential systems.
4. Very high efficiency- Most likely, your residential HVAC System will not have these filters. They are mostly used for areas that require sterile indoor air, such as hospital operating rooms and laboratories. HEPA filters are an example of very high efficiency filters. These filters can eliminate almost 100% of particulates from the air. Residential equipment is not designed to work directly with these filters.
When looking at filters, you should be aware that all HVAC filters are rated based on their minimum efficiency, or MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). This rating was established by ASHRAE to help homeowners and contractors install the correct filters for their application. The higher the rating number, the more efficient the filter is. We can help you get the filters that are rated for your system, so ask us about MERV ratings and what they mean to you.
Keeping your filters clean, and replacing them when necessary, can make a big difference in the quality of your indoor air. Just as importantly, regular filter maintenance will keep your system components working for a lot longer. That’s why we check, clean, or replace our customers’ filters every time we do scheduled maintenance. Don’t let dirty filters reduce your system’s efficiency, and don’t risk health problems that come along with dirty indoor air. These issues are easily prevented with a little bit of preventative maintenance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).For more information about filtration and filters and other HVAC topics,click here to visit our website.
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