Buying your heat pump, air conditioner, or furnace greatly contributes to your utility bill. However, air filters often keep those ACs, furnaces, and heat pumps humming.
All cooling and forced-air heating systems use air filters. So it is important for homeowners using these systems to know how to replace and buy them. Whether it is your first or third time buying air filters, the following are tips to help you:
1. Measure the Size
As easy as it sounds, most individuals end up purchasing air filters that are the wrong size. If you know a lot about air filters, you already understand why it is very easy to make this grave mistake.
Usually, air filters come in different sizes and shapes. They have a complicated name, making it hard to differentiate them. Plus, most air filters vary in size by just a tiny amount.
Air filters often have a nominal size of 20x20x4 or the whole number. They can also come with actual size, normally a decimal or fraction that varies. If it is a 20x20x4 air filter that you are after, ensure you go for the exact size.
2. Choose the Right Type
Various kinds of air filters provide varying maintenance requirements and performance levels. Generally, filters are more effective when clean and new, but some last longer than others.
The most common types include permanent electrostatic and disposable pleated. Permanent electrostatic air filters have charged fibers but don’t collect many particles. Plus, they are washable, which means they should be replaced after every six or eight years, and their price ranges between $15 and $20.
On the other hand, disposable pleated air filters collect small and large particles, including spores and mites. They cost less than permanent electrostatic air filters and must be changed more often. Apart from permanent electrostatic and disposable pleated air filters, other common types may include the following:
- Disposable electrostatic
- Disposable fiberglass
3. Look at the MERV Rating First
There are high-end, mid-level, and low-end options with practically anything you buy. Unfortunately, not every product, including those air filters you want to buy, is created the same.
The more quality air filters, the more toxins you will eliminate from the indoor air in the house. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air filters are often assigned a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). This number shows how well air filters capture particles and their size in microns or micrometers.
Typically, household filters have a value that ranges from 1-16. But then again, this number shows how effective air filters are, with a high MERV rating showing that they may capture more particles.
When buying filters for your house, look at their effectiveness. This way, you will also identify the optimal filters for the needs of your home.
The Takeaway!
Although all these might seem too much for you to do and consider, you must follow these tips to ensure you buy the right air filters. Besides, your electricity bills, indoor air quality, and HVAC units depend on you to get your custom air filters right.
