Improve The Air Quality In Your Home With Home Climates
Indoor air quality is an important part of maintaining your health, and Home Climates is dedicated to offering over-the-top service for reasonable prices to ensure your home stays comfortable. If you want your air filter to stop viruses then we recommend the REME Halo air purifier, which reliably purifies the air in your home to make it healthy for you and your family.
At Home Climates, we provide everything from plumbing services to water treatment, and we service all brands of equipment. Because we want you to have the home you deserve, we offer many promotions and financing options for your home improvement projects.
We are dedicated to providing professional assistance that improves your indoor air quality. We even offer a five-year warranty on labor. You can get in touch with Home Climates 24/7 by calling 717-689-4151 or by making an appointment online. If you have questions about our services, our team of professionals will be happy to assist you today.
Choosing The Right Ac Filter
When considering the right filter for your home or business’s air conditioning system, first decide whether you want to use disposable or washable air filters. There are, as is to be expected, benefits and drawbacks to both options.
There are, as is to be expected, benefits and drawbacks to both options.
A disposable air filter tends to provide the best possible quality of air flow and filtration when it is first installed. Being brand new and in factory perfect shape, it will permit high volumes of air to pass with ease, meaning minimal strain on your HVAC system and great output from the vents. A brand new disposable filter also catches even the finest particles of mold, dander, pollen, and more. But many disposable filters tend to become laden with contaminants rather quickly. As a filter loads up with the matter it was designed to catch, airflow becomes less and less efficient, and eventually the air passing through the filter can be dirtied by exposure to the buildup there. At this point, the filter must be discarded.
Where To Buy Quality Filters At An Affordable Price
You can purchase top-quality furnace filters from any hardware and home improvement store. Theyre also available at discount retail stores like Walmart and Target. However, for the best selection and the lowest prices, you should start by shopping online at Amazon.
If you own a multi-unit apartment complex, serve as the property manager, or handle all the maintenance calls, a Prime membership equates to free shipping. Therefore, you could order as many furnace filters you need without the added expense. There are many other reasons for finding your products on Amazon, including an abundance of options and incredible deals on the top brands.
Manufacturers Recommendations
Manufacturers of all the leading furnace filter brands agree that regardless of which one you choose, there are specific things to look for and factors that make one option better than another. For both residential and commercial purposes, focus on the following when buying a new or replacement filter.
Unit Specifications
Start by checking the specifications for your heating unit. Remember, every furnace has a unique design. So, while you might automatically think that a high-efficiency filter is the best choice, it may not be. Also, more commercial furnaces use true HEPA filters today in units to heat homes.
Correct Size
Tested Rating
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The Home Depot Air Filter Performance Rating System
- The Home Depot Air Filter Performance Rating System ranks all brands of filters The Home Depot sells by measuring their ability to capture large and small particles. It also factors in the weight gain caused by the filtration process over the filter’s lifetime.
- The FPR creates a weighted average for each filter, which is then ranked on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the lowest performance and 10 being the highest performance air filter. The best air filters for home use are those with the best FPR ratings.
- 60 percent of the rating is determined by the filter’s ability to capture large particles, 30 percent is determined by its ability to capture small particles and weight gain over the filter’s lifetime determines the final 10 percent.
While The Home Depot uses FPR, the industry standard is to use the air filter rating system of Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value . The MERV rating system helps you choose the best furnace air filters to fit your homes needs.
Each rating dictates the effectiveness of a filter. The higher the MERV rating, the more efficient the filter. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Engineers recommends a MERV 6 or higher. Most people go with a MERV 8 filter. Most residential areas can remove contaminants with MERV 8 to MERV 13, while most hospitals use MERV 14 to MERV 20. Compared to The Home Depots method of ranking air filters , MERV has wider range.
Premium Air Filters: Fpr 10
- Particles like household dust, lint, dust mites, pollen and pet dander
- Small particles like bacteria and mold spores
- Smoke, smog, microscopic allergens plus particles that can carry viruses
- Particles that carry odors
- Large particles like household dust, lint, dust mites, pollen and pet dander
- Small particles like bacteria and mold spores
- Smoke, smog, microscopic allergens plus particles that can carry viruses
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How We Test The Best Air Purifiers
In our search for the very best air purifiers to recommend to our readers, we try to have hands-on experience with as many models from as many brands as possible. This can be done by editors, staff writers or freelancers, but tests will be conducted with the same methodology wherever appropriate.
However, it is not always possible to test all of the best products, but where we haven’t it will be clearly marked in this guide. Those we have tried will have a star rating based on what we thought of its design, performance, sustainability and ease of use, among other things, while you will find other recommendations further down the list.
An Abundance Of Hair And Fur Makes Frequent Hvac Filter Changes Essential
Every home has some manner of indoor air pollution but households with pets have far more air quality issues to contend with. If you have a pet, regularly vacuum your carpets, bedding, and other upholstered surfaces to eliminate as much pet hair as you possibly can. You should also replace the air filter in your HVAC system more often than the manufacturer recommends. At the end of the day, you have more airborne contaminants in your home as a result of having a pet. Your filter will develop large accumulations of trapped pollutants at a rapid rate. This is all the more true if your pet is from a long-haired breed as these animals shed the most.
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Which Air Filter Is Better For Your Home: An Electronic Air Purifier Or Standard Air Filter
by Gross Heating | Mar 23, 2022
Recent Posts
Spring is in the air and seasonal allergies are being triggered, which has homeowners seeking solutions for better air filtration in their homes. But maintaining your homes air quality isnt a seasonal matter as dust, pet dander, mold, and other allergens are everywhere year-round. This is why effective air filtration in your homes heating and cooling system is so important!
There are two primary types of air filters typically used in home HVAC systems: standard air filters, of which there are a variety of options, and electronic air purifier. Below, we share the differences and how to know which air filter is right for your homes heating and air conditioning system.
What Is A Merv Rating
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, and is a measure of how well a filter removes particulates from the air. In that way its akin to the more familiar HEPA rating used on air purifiers. And like the test for HEPA rating, MERV testing measure a filters efficiencythe percentage of particles it capturesin a single pass. Air is loaded with particulate matter, sent through the filter a single time, and the results measured. In real-world use, with the air in your home constantly recirculating through the ducts and passing through the filters each time, the cumulative effect of the filters rises.
But MERV is different in some key ways. First, instead of being a simple pass-fail measure like HEPA , MERV ratings fall on a scale from 1 to 16, with higher numbers indicating better performance.
Also unlike HEPA, MERV tests measure particulates of different sizes, from 0.3 micron up to 10 microns . MERV also doesnt have a target percentage for removal, the way HEPA does. Instead, the actual percent removal is recorded for each of 12 particle sizes, and these numbers are referenced against a performance table to determine the appropriate rating.
Home Depot shared a basic comparative chart but no test data or protocols it equates FPR 9 and 10 to MERV 12, FPR 7 and 8 to MERV 11, and FPR 6 to MERV 10.
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Choose An Appropriate Size
Before you shop for a new air filter, remember to check the size of your furnace or AC unit. If you know your required length and width, simply filter through the options above to narrow down your choices.
Unsure how to find the right fit? Bring your old filter to your nearest Ace location and one of our associates will be happy to help you find a match!
Room Air Filter For Dust
Unfortunately, theres no way to remove all the dust from a room just by filtering the air. Dust can still settle on surfaces, get into every crevice and make its way through an air filter on occasion.
So what can you do if you have allergies or asthma and want to get rid of as much dust as possible? If you need extra purification in a specific room, you can go one step further with a standalone air purifier unit.
There are thousands of portable air purifiers that can help, but the best room air filter for dust is a HEPA filter. Unlike home air filters for an HVAC system, highly efficient HEPA air filters work very well in a standalone air purifier.
A HEPA air filter traps 99.97% of particles in the air. Like the MERV 13 air filter, particles as small as 0.3 micron are trapped by a HEPA air filter. There is one thing to be mindful of though. There are true HEPA filters and HEPA-type air filters. The HEPA-type air filters are far less efficient.
Another important factor outside of the true HEPA air filter is max coverage. Portable air purifiers have a max coverage, which is calculated in square feet. Most air purifiers cover 200 to 1,500 square feet.
Beyond these two factors there are a lot of features that differentiate portable air purifiers. Some features are about aesthetics like custom color lighting and others, like timers, are more practical. As long as the air purifier has a true HEPA filter and covers the space needed the features are all about personal preference.
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What Is The Best Filter For An Ac
Air conditioner filters are among the most commonly-overlooked components of HVAC systems. They do their work quietly in the background, never making any noise to indicate somethings gone awry. Nonetheless, choosing the best filter for an AC is crucial for maintaining your familys health and wellbeing. In this post, well give you some tips on how to choose.
Disposable Options In Hvac Air Filters
With less money to spend, it may be necessary to shop for the cheapest HVAC air filters you can find. These disposable options generally come with unimpressive MERV ratings. They arent very effective in filtering out most airborne particulates, but you cant really complain if this is all your budget will allow. Just bear in mind that disposable filters will need a replacement pretty rapidly, given the amount of pet fur thats floating around. Their low upfront price is quickly offset by the high cost of regular maintenance and frequent replacements.
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How Merv Rating Is Related To Dust Removal
Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values tell you how well an air filter clears particles out of the air. MERV ratings go from 1 to 20. The higher the rating is, the more filtration it provides. Higher ratings will both capture smaller particles than lower ratings, and higher ratings will more consistently capture particles of larger sizes.
Now you may think that an air filter with a MERV 20 rating will be the best air filter for dust, but thats not commonly recommended. For starters, MERV 17-20 air filters are very expensive. They are also typically made for commercial HVAC systems because they are most often used in pharmaceutical plants, surgical centers and cleanrooms. Filters with that high of a MERV rating will break your home HVAC system because they will cause air flow issues.
The higher the MERV rating is, the thicker and more pleated the air filter is, and the thicker and more pleated an air filter is the more it restricts air flow. This can cause your HVAC system to work harder, which leads to higher energy bills and premature wear on the system.
Best For Allergies: Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen Air Filter
Courtesy of Amazon
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Expensive
A high-quality furnace filter designed to filter small particles can remove many allergens from the air and provide a measure of relief to those with allergies. The Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen filter has a MERV rating of 13, placing it in a class of filters designed to capture particles as small as 0.30 to 1 microns in size.
Certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, this furnace filter captures common irritants like dust, pollen, and dander, along with smaller particles such as smoke, bacteria, and cough or sneeze particles. If youre shopping for a furnace filter for allergies, you should also consider the MPR rating. The higher the number, the greater the amount of particle the filter can capture. The Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen filter has an MPR rating of 1,900.
Size: 15.72 x 24.72 x 0.78 inches | FPR Rating: Not available | MERV Rating: 13 | Air Filter Depth: 1 | Filter Material:Electrostatically charged filter media
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Aprilaire 216 A2 216 Replacement Air Filter For Whole Home Air Purifiers Allergy Asthma & Virus Filter
The filters are ideal for a wide range of air conditioner models. They are extremely efficient and feature MERVE 16 rating. They thus trap up to 99% airborne allergies ensuring a cleaner indoor environment. You will therefore enjoy air free from viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust, mold spores, dust mites and pet dander. In addition, the filters can trap smog and tobacco smoke.
Besides, these filters are very simple to install due to the interlock rail system design. Simply unpack then slide in and close the door for complete installation. In addition, they can last for 6 to 12 months saving you money. As well, they provide a large surface for capturing allergies and other impurities. They also feature self-seal technology ensuring all the air is filtered.
Furnace Filters Buying Guide
For some reason, theres little to no information as to when and who invented the first furnace filter. However, its known that in the early 18th century, Englanders first started using combustion air coming from an outside duct to make interior rooms more comfortable. Later that same century, a Scottish man, named James Watt, developed the first working heating system that operated on steam combined with a connection of pipes.
Then in 1883, Thomas Edison invented the first electric heater, followed by the patenting of the first thermostat two years later by Warren Johnson. The big breakthrough came in 1919 when Alice Parker patented the first central heating system, forever changing how people kept their homes and businesses comfortable.
At some point, people began using filters to prevent particles from blowing inside of rooms, especially after the invention of the fan system in the late 1890s. The one fact easily obtained is that the original design of filters was intended to protect the blower motor found in older-style furnaces and the evaporator coil in air-conditioning units.
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Air Filter Pros And Cons
ProsChanging out an air filter is easy. You slip out the old filter and slide in the replacement. Some are conventional fiberglass filters others are pleated or electrically charged to pick up particles.
Air filters generally come in a range of standard sizes, with a few that can adapt to fit different-sized filter-box or return-air openings.
ConsFor thicker filters to fit, you may need to have your ductwork modified by a professional. The filters must be replaced every one to three months.
PricesFrom $20 to $80 per filter. Annual replacement costs can be as low as $20 or as high as $200.
The 5 Best Furnace Filters
Furnace filters have a large impact on the performance of your HVAC system and your thermostat. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best furnace filters on Amazon to help you find the product thats right for you. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
A clean furnace filter keeps your HVAC system running smoothly, which can lead to lower electricity bills and better air quality. Keep reading to learn about the best furnace filters on Amazon.
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