One of the top five environmental health risks could be right inside your home. Indoor air pollutants made the top five environmental hazards in a list compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Furnace filters use a permeable membrane that will allow air to flow through the media while trapping a variety of airborne particulates, including mold spores, pet dander, dust mites, pollen and other constituents of common household dust. In Northern climates, the furnace filter is usually used to filter air during summer air conditioning as well.
The American Society of heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers has created an efficiency rating system for furnace filters, the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. For residential filters, the system runs from 1-16, with the higher-rated filters removing smaller (and more) airborne particulates. In general, you want the highest rated filter you’re furnace will handle, while being mindful that the highest MERV filters tend to impeded system airflow. This can be more damaging to your heating and cooling system than inefficient furnace filters.
Flat-panel fiberglass furnace filters are usually rated between MERV 1 and 4. These types of filters are meant to protect your HVAC components from large dirt and dust particles, and are not intended to improve indoor air quality.
Disposable pleated filters usually are rated between MERV 5 and 13. These filters are less expensive than HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, but some of them are just as effective. Some higher-efficiency pleated polyester filters, rated 14 to 16, resemble true HEPA filters and are often confused with them.
HEPA filters are the best for removing airborne particles and can capture up to 99.97 percent of all airborne particles. HEPA filters have a MERV rating of 17 to 20. These types of filters will greatly improve the quality of your indoor air, but will require professional installation with serious system modifications. This is so airflow is strong enough to blow through the dense filtration media.
A washable air filter is made with plastic and metal frames. The filtration material is polypropylene weave and wire mesh. It is durable and can be cleaned and reused. They only have a MERV 1-4 rating, however.
For more information on the best furnace filters for your Northeast Ohio home, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning. We provide superior HVAC services to Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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