Did You Know?
The average person breathes in about 32,000 pints (18,185 liters) of air every day? Those 32,000 pints contain about 1,120,000,000 particles of dust and most of those particles are 3 microns or smaller in size.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. This can be a big problem if you suffer from allergies.
There are a number of things that affect indoor air quality but here we want to focus on air filters because there is a lot of misinformation on the topic and an efficient furnace filter or air conditioner filter is an important part of any strategy to improve indoor air quality.
Clean air is something we all need for a healthy home environment. The goal of this site is to provide you with information that will help determine which type of furnace filter or air conditioner filter best meets the needs of you and your family.
Your Furnace Filter and Air Conditioner Filter Options
There are many types of air conditioner filters and furnace filters to choose from and efficiencies, designs and quality vary greatly. There are basically six types of air filter to choose from.
Some are very efficient and reliable, while others provide less than desirable results. Also keep in mind that generic brands are usually as good as some of the more popular brands such as Filtrete, Honeywell, Trion, 3M and Purolator.
There is really no best air filter because each type serves a purpose, but which one is the best for you, really depends on your individual needs. The links below will take you to articles about the types listed. Each type of air filter has its positive and negative characteristics and the articles on those pages were written to help highlight those differences.
- Electrostatic Air Filters
- Pre Cut Media Air Filter Pads
- Pleated Air Filters
- HEPA Air Filters
- Activated Carbon Air Filters
- Fiberglass Panel Filters
Brand name is probably the least important thing to consider in your buying decision and most brands are interchangeable. If you are ordering replacement air filters you only need to know the dimensions of the filter you are replacing (Length, Width and Thickness). Often custom size filters are required due the a wide range of factors. Unfortunately, you can’t buy custom sized pleated furnace filters at your local hardware store but they are available online and from your local contractor or wholesaler.
Sizing Furnace Filters and Air Conditioner Filters
If you are replacing a frame type furnace filter with a pleated filter or electrostatic filter you need to know the dimensions of the filter frame in order to select the proper size pleated or electrostatic replacement air filer. If you are looking for new media pads to install in an existing frame then the same rule applies. Length, Width and Thickness are the measurements that you need to know. With this information any online or retail store will be able to provide you with what you want.
Standard Filter Size Measurements
Usually these dimensions are not exact. For example a 20x20x1 filter will actually measure 19.5×19.5x¾. When you order or pick up your new filter the dimensions you will ask for will be 20x20x1. This difference between standard size measurements and actual size measurements allows for variations in filter rack sizes and also ensures that the filter will fit into a standard size filter rack.
Other Considerations Before You Decide
Pleated air filters are probably the most popular. They provide the best value for your money and are available in a wide range of efficiencies and design characteristics. Some are made with charcoal or carbon impinged fibres manufactured into the filter material to help with odour control. Others have electrostatic characteristics to help increase performance.
Electrostatic filters offer the best value when it comes to reusable filters and the best of these will have a lifetime guaranty.
To keep your electronic or electrostatic air filters performing at maximum efficiency requires regular cleaning. Filter maintenance (changing or cleaning) also helps to keep your heating and cooling equipment operating at maximum efficiency which reduces operating costs.
A disposable or reusable filter that is left in an air conditioning or heating system for extended periods of time without proper maintenance will reduce equipment operating efficiency and can reduce airflow to the point of causing costly equipment breakdowns.
Some of these filters such as through away fiberglass filters are not very efficient and will only trap the largest of dust particles, while others such as the electrostatic furnace filter and HEPA air filter will remove over 97 percent of household allergens from the air that passes through them.
It is important to keep in mind that when shopping for a new air filter, discount furnace filters (fiberglass panel) are not a real bargain. You save on the cost of the filter but pay more for maintenance and operating costs in the end. It is best to shop for efficiency and quality.
Other Things That Will Help Improve Indoor Air Quality
There are some other things you may want to consider if you really want the best air quality you can possibly have in your home.
These other things to consider are:
- Duct Mounted UV Air Cleaners
- Home Ventilation
Ultra Violet Sterilizers, often referred to as UV air purifiers, are sometimes used with standard furnace filters to kill bacteria in the air. These units are mounted in your duct system and kill bacteria as they pass through the light emitted from purifier. It’s important that this equipment be installed correctly for maximum safety and efficiency. These air purifiers provides an extra level of air treatment to improve indoor air quality.
To help reduce infiltration of airborne particles from outside, maintain the filters in your home ventilation equipment also. These residential heat recovery ventilator and air exchanger filters are usually washable foam media and should be replaced when they begin to deteriorate. Some of these units have HEPA filters and are extremely efficient.
Stop airborne particles before they enter your home and reduce the workload on your furnace filters.
