When I look over the topics I often write about for my blog, one that pops up often is “air filters.” When people hear about air filters, they usually think about the air filters that are already part of their HVAC system. These are important filters, but you need to know that they aren’t there to improve indoor air quality. These filters do the job of stopping dust, lint, and other debris from getting into the HVAC system and damaging the heating system, air conditioner, and blower.
You can also have special filters installed into your HVAC system that remove pollutants from the air that surrounds you in your house. These filters are highly effective at keeping dust, pet dander, pollen, mold, and mildew spores from circulating through the air and they are much more powerful than the standard furnace filter.
There’s no single kind of air filter. You have several options when it comes to types of filters, and in this post, I’m going to look over several of the different kinds.
The Main Types of Air Filters
Here are several of the more common types of air filters.
- 1” panel filters: We like to call these “rock catchers” because they only stop larger particles. These are the filters commonly used as furnace filters. We don’t recommend using these to improve indoor air quality—they simply aren’t powerful enough, and they have to be changed too often (monthly). They’re also prone to collapse.
- Pleated filters: These filters are more powerful. They have a thicker weave and more surface area, so they not only catch smaller particles, they also don’t need to be changed as often. (They’re sometimes called “90-Day Filters,” although we recommend monthly checks anyway.)
- High-efficiency media filters: This is our preferred indoor air quality filter. These are 3–5” filters that can last from six to twelve months before they need to be replaced (depending on the household). Some models of high-efficiency media filters contain charcoal, which helps to remove odors from the indoor air. Although these are a more expensive filter option, you’ll only need at most two a year, and that helps offset the cost compared to other filters.
You Need Professionals for Air Filter Installation
If you want to have air filters installed to improve your home’s indoor air quality, you’ll need to have our professionals handle the job. We have to integrate the filter housing into the current ductwork. We also will help to select the right strength of filter. This is very important! If you have a filter put into your HVAC system that is too powerful, it will do more than stop particles—it will also stop airflow, and that will cause damage to your HVAC system and lower your indoor comfort.
We’ll help you with any questions you may have about your new air filtration system, such as how often you need to change the filter. You can purchase filters from a store or we can order them for you.
Live worry-free,
Olive