More About Air Filters…
In previous articles, we talked a little about the filters for your HVAC system(s). Here is more about air filters…
What Are Air Filters?
To start, we should explain what these filters are. HVAC filters are a component to keep certain particles from going into your system. Layers are put together with the intended materials for the filtration process. These materials are usually between, or a combination of, fiberglass, pleated cotton, aluminum mesh, paper, foam, carbon, and a few other options. The fibers are tightly woven with small gaps for the air to filter through.
What Do They Do?
As explained earlier, HVAC filters are made of fibers woven together tightly to filtrate particles in the air. This helps keep the system clean and, ultimately, lengthens the system’s life expectancy. These filters also help with the air quality and allergen triggers in your home.
How Often Should I Change Them?
We recommend that you change your filter(s) every 1-3 months depending on your space. For businesses with consistent guests or part of the food/animal industry, it is best to change your filter(s) every month. For all homes with 4+ residents/guests, fur babies, and/or lots of dust should expect to change their filter(s) every 1-2 months. Any businesses with less incoming staff/guests can expect to change their filter(s) around every 2 months. For homes with only a few residents/guests should change their filter(s) every 2-3 months. For homes that do not collect much dust and have residents/guests that are rarely home, they can expect to change their filters around every 3 months.
How Else Can I Know When to Change Them?
There are some other indicators of when you should change your filters. For example, your space gets dusty quite often but you do not have a lot of natural lighting. It also may be time to change your filters if there is an odd smell coming out of the vents whenever the system(s) turns on. Even if you do not change the filters every month, we still recommend that you check them every month. If the filters looks like it is caked in dust/dirt or is very dark compared to when it was put it, it is time to change it.
What Air Filters Should I Get?
This can be a hard question, but your best option is to ask the HVAC technician when they visit. Nonetheless, we can still give some advice. For anyone with seasonal and/or pet allergies, we recommend looking for a filter of MERV 11-13. HEPA filters can also be good for those with allergies, however, they restrict the air flow and do not filter VOCs and ozone. VOCs are airborne chemicals and ozone is a gas that is unhealthy to breathe in. Filters of MERV 14+ can also restrict air flow. On the other hand, filters of MERV 10 and lower can allow too many allergen triggers and particles to get into the system. To learn what MERV and HEPA stand for, check out this link.
