Worldwide, concern about air quality has been on the rise. In our country, we are becoming aware of how poor air quality can affect cognitive ability in children and adults. While you can’t do much about the outside air where you live save for picking up and moving, you can have considerable control indoors. A good part of your efforts should be focused on filters and air quality.
How Filters and Air Quality Are Related
Filters help clean the air in the home by tackling different types of pollutants.
Here are those filter types and what they do:
- Washable filters. These work pretty well by trapping airborne pollutants by means of an electrostatic charge as return air is drawn into the system. These filters must be washed periodically.
- Pleated filters. Pleated filters are the best choice for trapping particles as return air flows through the HVAC. These filters can trap very small particles from most of the pollutants found in homes. They are usually changed every three months, but more often if you have shedding pets and dusty conditions in the home. These filters are rated on the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) scale from 1 to about 20, but most homes will require a filter in the 8-12 range. Anything higher would require extensive modification of the equipment.
- UV light filters. These are not typical filters per se but rather bulbs installed in the HVAC that give off ultraviolet light. This light interrupts the reproductive capacity of certain living particulates, such as fungus, mold, algae, bacteria, and viruses, as return air is drawn through the system.
- HEPA filters. These very dense filters trap the most minute of particles. They are usually not installed in a typical residential HVAC unless the equipment has been severely modified to accommodate it. Usually they are installed if a resident has a serious problem with allergies or respiratory issues.
- Fiberglass filters. These won’t do much to improve your link between filters and air quality, but they will catch the larger dirt and dust particles drawn inside the HVAC system.
For more on filters and air quality, contact Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area