The air quality in your home is a crucial determinant of your life. It could further aggravate your respiratory condition.
It makes all the difference to use high quality air filters in your HVAC system.
With the right air filter, you can successfully change stuffy air into breathable air.
Here are the main types of filters.
Fiberglass Filters
Fiberglass filters are the most popular version because they are cheap. The strands play an important role in protecting the system from debris and dirt.
Nevertheless, these filters aren’t the best option when it comes to air cleaning.
Advantages
- They are affordable and effective
Disadvantages
- They easily gather dust, dirt and debris requiring frequent replacement
- They are not the best option for people dealing with asthma and allergies
- They are not very good at catching small pollutants meaning that the air inside your home is not cleaned thoroughly.
Pleated Air Filters
Are made of folded polyester or cotton in a style that creates pleats. They are quite effective at removing airborne pollutants.
Advantages
- They have increased surface area for improved filtration. They remove pet dander and mold spores.
- Flexible options: There are disposable and reusable options.
- They last longer than fiberglass and don’t need to be replaced often.
Disadvantages
- They are quite pricey
- They hamper airflow: The system needs to work hard to bring in air. With time, the energy efficiency of the system goes down.
High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters (HEPA)
HEPA filters are able to eliminate close to 100 percent of all pollutants. Even the smallest particles are captured.
Advantages
- They are very effective at air cleaning
- Cost-effective because they don’t need to be replaced often
Disadvantages
- A professional needs to adjust them to work with your system.
- Are not able to protect against every single pollutant out there. With time, mold may grow and the filter will need to be replaced.
- It is an expensive investment especially at the upfront
Ultraviolet Light Filters
They make use of UV light to get rid of viruses and bacteria as air goes through the system. These filters will kill any organisms that may damage your respiratory system.
Advantages
- UV light exterminates harmful particles such as mold and germs. They introduce superb indoor air quality for your loved ones dealing with respiratory issues.
Disadvantages
They are expensive to install.
They are not very effective when it comes to fighting larger irritants such as pet dander, dust mites, odors and tobacco smoke. This means that they need to be installed together with an alternative type of filter.
Media HVAC Filters
Media filters have more merits than other filters. Typically, they achieve filtration without putting stress on airflow or requiring any static pressure. Media filters have a bigger surface area that fosters high-quality air filtration.
They are great at combating particles and bacteria from accessing the air inside your home.
Advantages
- They are easy to maintain, requiring changes only once every year.
- Their filtration is superb
Disadvantages
- You cannot service them yourself. You need to call a professional to handle the installation
- They do not offer adequate protection against odors.
Rice Heating and Air is a full-service heating and air company headquartered in Alma, AR. The company specializes in air conditioning repair, AC installations, indoor air quality systems, heating repair, and furnace installations. Rice Heating and Air are focused on helping homeowners and businesses staying comfortable year-round. We are your comfort experts.
Call us today for any of your heating and cooling needs.
