Choosing the Best Air Filter for Your Home

May 10, 2019

How to Find Your Home’s Perfect HVAC Air Filters

Air filters can make an incredible difference in the air quality inside your house. Whether you’re worried about dust and debris in the air around Santa Rosa or the pollen count in Marin County, give your lungs a break and find the best type of HVAC air filters for your home.

Vent Filters Versus Furnace Filters

Vent filters and furnace filters hold similar roles, just in different parts of your home. A furnace filter is part of your HVAC system and acts as the primary air filter for a house. A vent filter goes inside a return vent, the place where your HVAC system pulls in air. While vent filters should not be used in place of furnace filters, they do help capture additional particles from the air. Having clean filters is one of the biggest steps you can take to keep the air in your home free of pollutants and allergens like:

Pollen
Mold
Dirt
Dust
Bacteria
Pet hair
And more

MERV Ratings, Explained

When it comes to trust-worthy ratings systems, always look for a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, or MERV rating. Supported by The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), MERV ratings mark how well a filter removes particles and pollutants from the air in your house.

MERV ratings start at 1 and end at 20, with 20 marking the highest quality filters. If someone in your family has asthma or allergies, consider getting filters with a MERV rating of 12 or 13. Otherwise, a typical home should use filters in the 10 to 13 range.

Picking the Correct Filter Size

Regardless of whether you are looking for a vent or furnace filter, it is very important to use the right sized filter. If a filter is too small, it can’t properly clean the air in your home.

When choosing a vent filter, you can either compare a new filter to the size of your old one, or you can measure the return vent itself. For furnace filters, check the door of the filter cabinet to find the correct measurements. While furnace filters are available in a wide range of sizes, they are typically one of three standard options:

16″ x 20″
16″ x 25″
20″ x 25″

Deciding Between Disposable and Washable Filters

Disposable filters work exactly as the name implies: they’re designed for one use only and should be replaced at least every three months. A washable filter is a more sustainable option that you can clean reuse for years.

However, washable filters do have a major downside. They typically aren’t available in high MERV ratings because their electrostatic fibers don’t capture the types of particulates that can be harmful to people with respiratory issues like asthma.

For HVAC Air Filters Done Right, Call on the Professionals

If you live in Santa Rosa or Marin County and are ready to improve the air quality inside your house, trust the professionals here at Next Level Heating and Air Conditioning. We’re an insured, bonded, licensed, and Diamond Quality Certified residential HVAC contractor with an A+ BBB accreditation. For more information on how we can install the filters that best meet your needs, contact us through our online form. To stay up to date on the latest news from Next Level, like us on Facebook, find us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to our blog.