Needless to say, that central air conditioning and heating is certainly a boon in every household these days, no matter whether you stay in US, UK, Canada, EU, Australia or in Asian countries. Every homeowner considers HVAC air filtration system to be a boon, like all major appliances in the house. Having said that, your HVAC system and filtration system with high-quality filter media is one of the most important aspect of a good quality HVAC filter system.
To begin with, let us understand the basic functionality of HVAC air filters. The most basic function is an air filter that removes impurities such as dust, pet dander, pollen, bacteria from the air flowing through the system. It primarily improves the air quality of your home and protects your HVAC filter system from damage.
Researches on HVAC filter systems and HVAC filter media:
It has been proven that these days homes are better insulated, tightly sealed and energy-efficient. Data suggests that 90 approx. People spend their time indoors. With all that insulation, it can trap indoor pollutants and gases, making indoor air up to 5 times unhealthy than outdoor air.
Here is all the detailed information that you need to master all that is included in HVAC air filters:
Let us begin at the very beginning and understand the various types of air filters.
What are various types of air filters?
Air filters are a number of shapes and materials with various capabilities and price points. Let us see some of them in detail here:
- Flat-panel: Most commonly fiber glass fibres are the kind of air filter that is used in preparing the most affordable type of air filter media that has flat-panel models. These fiberglass filter media are stretched over a framework. Fiberglass filters are disposable and easy to install.
- Pleated Disposable: Pleated filters use dense screens of cotton or plastic fibers to remove particles from the air. These have pleats instead of the flat panel filters, and provide more surface area for filtration and allow the filters to catch more impurities in the air. Although, these are expensive than the prior one.
- Electrostatically Charged Air Filters: These filters are used to trap more minute particles such as pollen, smoke and bacteria within their screens are they are electrostatically charged. These air filters are flat or pleated and disposable or washable.
- Washable air filters: Washable Air filters come in both flat panel and pleated options and they can be washed down with water or vacuumed to remove any particle that may have stuck within the mesh of micro-webs. They are eco-friendly disposable filter media and are washable up to a certain number of times. However, there is a catch here, these filters lose its characteristics i.e.: electrostatic charge, overtime and correspondingly ability to capture smaller particles.
- HEPA Filter Media [High-efficiency particulate air: HEPA filters are generally defined as those filter media, that can consistently remove at least 99.97% of particulate matter suspended in the air that is 0.3 microns or larger. This kind of filter media was endorsed by many higher certification bodies and the Energy Department. These are mostly required in commercial settings that require immensely clean air, such as hospitals and laboratories. However, it is always better to install such air filter in households where people suffer from allergies and bronchitis or where small children live. It is interesting to know that not all HVAC filter systems are equipped to handle super-dense HEPA filters.
What is the meaning of all the numbers given?
All the air filters are rated for their ability to remove particles from the air, the ratings depend upon the size and effectiveness of the particles that it may restrict or absorb. MERV [Minimum efficiency Reporting Value] is a scale that measures from 1-16 and designates weaker filters with lower numbers and stronger ones with higher values. There are certain brands that own rating system to measure microparticle performance rating. There is another rating method known as CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rate, a scale recognized by the Federal Trade Commission and Env. Protection Agency which measures air purifier efficiency. In MERV the higher the number in terms of particle removal. Most of the filters fall between 12 CADR and 240 CADR range. However, it is intriguing to know that some of the high-performance ones can go up to 1200 CADR.
So, it is best when you start by determining the specific needs of the occupants in your home, the quality of filters and ratings of CADR and MERV. Generally, HVAC filters with higher CADR rating are the best choice for families who suffer from allergies and have pets in the home and deal with excessive dust to capture airborne bacteria.
Now, once you have figured out the range you are looking for you can factor in the budget. Generally, fiberglass filters are the most affordable once and starting roughly around $9 and save more money over their lifetime.