Air filters are everywhere; your home, car, work, and even at businesses you visit. Air filters have one job: removing the impurities and allergens in the air. Using the correct air filters may significantly impact your home’s indoor air quality. Our AccuTemp Refrigeration and Air Conditioning team in Phoenix, Arizona, has put together this article to discuss the different HVAC filter types.
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters shield the user from the most harmful contaminants in the air. These filters capture 99.97% of all airborne particles, even particles as tiny as 0.3 microns. In addition, the MERV rating of HEPA filters ranges from 17 to 20.
If you have a household heating and cooling system, you may not be able to use this type of HVAC filter. If you want to use HEPA filters in your house, an HVAC professional will need to make some adjustments.
The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings for HEPA filters are the highest in the industry. As a precaution, HEPA filters should only be used in places where air quality is a concern, such as hospitals and other medical facilities. You should never use a higher MERV rating than the one advised by the manufacturer of your HVAC equipment.
Air conditioning filter types that can be washed and reused are known as reusable filters. The MERV value of these filters ranges from one to four, making them more costly than disposables. As a result, mold and mildew may form on reusable air filters.
Reusable air filters are more expensive than most other air filters, although they generally fall into the same MERV rating range as fiberglass flat-panel filters. While they’re good at removing hair and carpet fibers, they’re less successful at removing pet dander and small dust. Mold and mildew may form on these HVAC filter types if they aren’t thoroughly dried after cleaning.
Metal-reinforcing grate and fiberglass are used to make this sort of filter disposable. The MERV rating of this air purifier is very poor, so it won’t accomplish much for your home’s air purification needs.
Nearly every one is acquainted with this low-cost air filter. A metal grating reinforces the layered fiberglass filtering material. Flat-paneled fiberglass air filters are entry-level air filters with low MERV ratings and a limited ability to remove big particles like carpet fibers and pet hair.
Near-maximum airflow is provided at the expense of near-zero filtering effectiveness using fiberglass filters. They’re known as “rock catchers” in the mining sector for a reason. In reality, they can only handle the biggest particles.
These filters may be thrown away after they’ve served their purpose. A MERV rating of five to thirteen is typical. On the other hand, high-efficiency pleated media filters are available with MERV ratings ranging from 14 to 16. An additional benefit of this filter’s design is that it is meant to enhance the filter’s surface area.
Filtration is improved by using pleated media instead of a flat sheet. Air conditioning repair experts suggest pleated media filters as the optimum replacement for flat-paneled air filters because of their cost-effectiveness.
Today, synthetic materials with smaller individual fibers are wrapped to maximize airflow and filtering effectiveness and are used to manufacture pleated filters for air conditioning systems. The pleated filters are available in both disposable and reusable HVAC filter types.
In a place like Phoenix, Arizona, where temperatures may soar, your HVAC and refrigeration systems must be in functioning order. With AccuTemp on your side, you won’t have to worry about your HVAC or refrigeration systems being out of commission. You can now contact our HVAC and refrigeration specialists to discuss your requirements and get your system back up and running quickly.