More expensive air filters, such as pleated residential filters, filter out dust mites, pollen, pet dander, mold, and even bacteria, which can be worthwhile. It's important to weigh all your options when analyzing your air filters. Do you have long-haired cats and dogs that shed their hair? Do any members of your family have environmental allergies? Yes, in general, more expensive air filters are more effective, but a single person without pets and without allergies might not need as much filtration as a family of five with three pets and a child with asthma. Household HVAC air filters are rated according to their MERV classification and most household filters are between 1 and 13 (HEPA filters are more than 13).
HEPA filters filter bacteria and viruses and are useful for people with serious respiratory conditions, such as emphysema. For example, hospitals use filters with a rating of 16, but that's not necessary for your home environment, and using a filter with such a high rating will increase your energy costs. All of them (and Owen) told us that the MERV filters in this range restrict airflow more than the low MERV filters, as measured by the drop in air pressure created by the filters when installed. In the real world, because the air in your home constantly recirculates through ducts and passes through filters every time, the cumulative effect of filters increases.
I don't recommend allergenic or fiberglass filters or, even worse, pleated filters with square woven cords and small holes. We evaluate how well an air filter removes dust, pollen, and smoke from the air, and see how freely air flows through the filter at any fan speed. If you can find a reusable filter that captures the types of contaminants you need to filter for your family, then you could pay more money upfront and, in the end, save money. If it's too restrictive, the solution is to place a larger filter slot or install a media filter that has more surface area.
Dirty or clogged filters are never good for your system, and if you choose to use an expensive air filter instead of a cheaper one, it can be quite expensive. Filters not only remove dust, allergens, mold spores and other pollutants from the air your family breathes, but they also filter out fine dirt particles that can degrade the performance of the air conditioning system itself. One person said you should buy the most basic air filter you can find, because it's easier for your air conditioning system than thicker filters that supposedly block more things. Depending on how wide your filter cabinet is, this is what you'll use to determine what type of filter you should use.
An electrostatic air filter is a washable air filter that uses static electricity to capture particles. Compared to the cheaper basic filters available, medium-efficiency MERV filters, such as the Nordic Pure MERV 12, can greatly reduce airborne dust, mold spores, pollen and even smoke, and doing so may help alleviate respiratory illnesses, according to an NIH review. Basically, any air filter will filter particles from the air before they flow throughout the HVAC system.
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