How to Choose the Right Filters for Your Home & Improve Air Quality

An important part of your HVAC system is its air filter. It has two main jobs, which are to protect the internal components of your system from getting covered in dust and to improve the quality of air inside your home. When it becomes time to replace the air filter in your system, you have a few different options to choose from.

Reusable Filter

One type of HVAC filter that you can invest in is a reusable one. These are commonly also referred to as permanent or washable air filters. As their name suggests, they can easily get pulled out of the filter housing, thoroughly cleaned, and put back in for further use. Reusable HVAC filters are typically made of synthetic materials, aluminum, or electrostatic mesh. These work to trap unwanted airborne contaminants like dust and pollen as they travel throughout your ductwork.

Reusable HVAC filters come at a much higher upfront cost than disposable filters. They can last you anywhere between 5 and 10 years, assuming you keep up with regular cleanings. These filters tend to have a low MERV rating, between four and eight, which means that they might not trap finer particles. If you choose to use this type of air filter for your HVAC system, you need to make sure that you’re completely drying the filter before you put it back into its housing. If you put a wet filter into the HVAC housing, it will lead to mold and mildew growth inside your system.

Reusable filters can be a great choice for those who don’t suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions where indoor allergens can be a real problem. This is also an ideal choice for those who want to be more eco-friendly by using a filter that doesn’t go to the landfill every few months. It’s essential to know that you’ll need to check your HVAC system to determine if it will support a reusable filter with a lower MERV rating.

Disposable Filter

The most popular type of HVAC air filter on the market today is a disposable one. These filters can be made of different materials, each with its own respective Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating. Most homeowners find that they need to replace their disposable HVAC filters every one to three months.  

Fiberglass Filter

Fiberglass filters are going to be your basic level disposable air filter. Made of spun fiberglass material, they are a very inexpensive option that helps to keep large debris from entering your HVAC system. Fiberglass filters have a MERV rating of anywhere between one and four. These can be great for homes where you’re not overly concerned about allergies and you’re just looking for a cheap filtering option to protect your HVAC system.

Pleated Filter

A step up from the fiberglass filter is the pleated air filter. This is typically made of a cotton or polyester blend that’s put together in a pleated design to add more surface area for better filtering capabilities. This type of air filter will capture smaller debris like pet dander and mold spores to offer better indoor air quality. 

A pleated filter is great for those who suffer from allergies, as they can reduce allergy symptoms by removing more airborne allergens. Pleated filters are going to be more expensive than fiberglass filters and will have a MERV rating anywhere between five and 13. They are a very popular choice for most homeowners as they offer a good blend of cost-effectiveness and indoor air quality.

Electrostatic Filter

Electrostatic filters are made of self-charging synthetic fibers that work to attract dust and particles from the air inside your ductwork. These offer superior filtration compared to standard pleated air filters. Electrostatic filters come with a MERV rating between 8 and 12, and they can remove things like pet dander, smoke, and airborne allergens. Electrostatic filters are also going to be more expensive than pleated disposable HVAC filters.

HEPA Filter

One other option that you may come across when looking up disposable air filters for HVAC systems is going to be a HEPA air filter. This type of filter is made out of very dense fiberglass or synthetic material. It works to capture even the smallest airborne particles from the air, giving it a MERV rating of 17 or higher. 

The problem with a HEPA filter is that it’s too restrictive for most residential HVAC systems. If you try to run this type of filter in your HVAC system, it’s highly likely that the system isn’t going to operate efficiently, which will cause excessive wear and tear to its components.

Carbon-Activated Filters

One other type of disposable HVAC filter that has become popular in recent years is a carbon-activated one. This filter is designed with materials that a pleated filter has but also includes activated carbon layers. These are made of charcoal that helps to remove odors, gases, and VOCs from your air. 

These specialized air filters are more expensive than your traditional pleated filters and have varying MERV ratings. They can be ideal for households where you’re dealing with strong odors from things like smoking regularly, cooking a lot, or having multiple pets indoors.

Filter Maintenance

As a homeowner, it’s important that you check the state of your HVAC filter at least once a month. If you have a reusable filter, it’s a good idea to pop it out and give it a good cleaning every month for optimal indoor air quality. If you have a disposable air filter, you’ll want to pull it out of the filter housing and hold it up to a light source. If you can’t see through the filter, then it needs to be replaced. If you can see through the filter, then put it back in and check it again next month. 

It’s pretty common for homeowners to need a filter replacement about every one to three months. The frequency of your filter changes is going to depend on numerous factors. One of the most common is going to be how many people live in your home and how many pets you have. If you have a lot of foot traffic in your home or a lot of pets, you’re going to find that you need to change your air filter more often.

Filter Size

When you’re selecting a new filter for your HVAC system, it’s important that you get the appropriate size. If you get a filter that’s too large, it won’t fit in the filter housing inside your return ducting. If you get a filter that is too small, all the air is simply going to travel around the filter and all the dirty airborne contaminants are going to end up inside your HVAC system. 

You can look at your existing filter to find its size in order to know what size filter you need to replace it with. Sizes are given in three different numbers, the first being the filter’s width, the second being its height, and the third being its depth. All filters have nominal sizing, meaning a depth of three-quarters of an inch is rounded up to one inch.

Expert HVAC Filter Service

Superior Comfort Heating and Cooling offers expert HVAC service for the Flat Rock, MI, area. We can also help with all your other indoor air quality needs, including humidifiers and air purification systems. Give our office a call today to book your next appointment.