If you are wondering about the role and impact of furnace filters on your HVAC system, you’ve come to the right place. They not only help with cleaning various parts of your HVAC system but also get it run smoothly. Most of the time when your HVAC system gets blocked or is not working to the max, it’s the furnace filter that needs to be replaced.
Next comes, choosing the right filter for your furnace. However, a professional expert can guide you in detail on this, it’s important to know the basics for making a decision. If you are confused you can always get in touch with HVAC experts like Diamond Flame Mechanical Inc to get the best solution.
Highlighting the Importance of Furnace Filters
Before diving into the debate of different types of filters, let’s discuss why experts emphasize furnace filters. There are two main responsibilities of furnace filters.
Improving Air Quality:
They allow dust particles, pollen, and dirt to stick as they are not visible to the naked eye. People with respiratory illnesses and allergies such as asthma or COPD know how dangerous such pollutants can be. It’s therefore important to get your furnace filter inspected, checked, or replaced after some time.
Uplifting the Efficiency of Your System:
Another impact filter lay is to keep your HVAC system working and increase its lifespan. Since they accumulate most of the dust particles, it’s much less likely for these pollutants to affect the other internal components of your equipment.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Furnace Filter
Just like any other purchase, there are multiple factors that help pick the right filter for you. Be it convenience, budget, or health concerns, you need to keep it in mind before making a choice.
Filter Size:
The height, thickness, and length refer to the size of a filter. The common range of an air filter thickness is between 1-5 inches. However, the size can vary in terms of height and length. An expert can guide you more on the size requirement of your specific system or you can go through the operator’s manual that comes with it.
You need to ensure the correct size of the filter while making a purchase, or it will be a waste of money.
MERV Rating:
MERV rating is extremely important when it comes to residential homes. It’s between 8 and 12 commonly and anything above that can cause potential damage. Filters with higher MERV ratings can lead to service issues such as blockage in the airflow, when it comes to residential settings.
Outdoor Air Quality:
Air quality is not just about the indoors, but the situation outdoors directly affects the efficiency of your filters as well. If you reside in an area with poor air quality, there are high chances of harmful pollutants to cause damage to the filters. Therefore, you might need filters with higher efficiency to cover the desired surface area.
Family Health:
If you or your loved ones in your home suffer from asthma, COPD, or any other respiratory illness, go for the ones with high-end ratings. Just keep in mind while these filters come with extra benefits, the prices are generally high.
Keep Your Budget in Mind:
If we talk about disposable filters, they need to be replaced between 40 to 80 days, which may not be budget-friendly for many individuals. In such a case you should choose a reusable washable filter to avoid high costs in the future.
Types of Furnace Air Filters
Highlighting all the different types of furnace air filters including the factors that make each one unique.
Fiberglass Filter:
You must have heard of this one as it’s one of the most common types of filters amongst the rest. The main features that make them a top choice are affordability and being disposable. They are convenient as they don’t mess up with the flow of your HVAC system.
Coming to the cons, these filters are not excellent at getting rid of harmful pollutants and allergens. It can be a big no if you are someone who suffers from asthma or other respiratory issues.
Pleated Filter:
Pleated filters consist of cotton or polyester, moreover, the folds they contain provide a larger surface area which allows them to capture more particles at once. However, what makes them unique and costly is their effectiveness in capturing tiny harmful air pollutants.
Reusable Filters:
If you want to go for washable options or the ones that can be reused, flat-paneled and pleated filters are two good options. They are economical in the long run and more environmentally friendly. They can be cleaned with a damp cloth or washed and dried properly before reinstallation.
You need to ensure they are properly cleaned to get rid of bacteria and dirt from your HVAC system.
Tips for Filter Maintenance
Now we know how crucial is the maintenance of your furnace filter to improve the air quality indoors. Regular maintenance helps improve the quality of your HVAC system and tends to increase its lifespan. It even helps you with the energy cost if you are concerned. Each filter has its lifespan and needs to be reinstalled after some time. You just need to keep a check on it.
Professional HVAC service providers such as Diamond Flame Mechanical Inc can guide you in detail about the maintenance and lifespan of the one in your HVAC system.
Do I Need Professional Assistance?
Professional HVAC experts know how to take care of your HVAC system and uplift its performance. They know how to operate and maintain it the right way, as they have the technical knowledge about it.
Let’s suppose your system is going through an airflow restriction, incorrect installation, or inefficient working. How would you know? Only a professional service provider can detect and resolve such issues. Therefore it’s better if you get your HVAC system installed, cleaned, or maintained through them to avoid any future inconvenience. You wouldn’t want to end up dealing with costly repairs or replacement of the current system.