Your Home Air Conditioning System
Besides the suggested annual upkeep, did you understand that of the simplest methods to preserve your house air conditioning system is to frequently change your air filter?
Well the majority of you already recognized that, but what aspects do you use when replacing your filter, and also equally as vital, what elements do you utilize when buying an air filter for your home air conditioning system?
In this quick suggestion, we’ll discuss the various sorts of air filters for your house and also some points you ought to consider when buying one.
An intriguing fact is that according to the EPA, interior air can be 2 to 5 times worse in air quality than outside air. (resource: epa.gov) This may seem shocking but when you consider it, it makes excellent sense. The factor for that is that your interior air is re-circulated throughout your house. The only “filtration” this air gets is from your air conditioning system. And as you, your family members, and your animals use your residence the air top quality worsens with time if it is not filtered efficiently.
Fortunately, in 1987 the American Culture of Heating, Refrigerating as well as Air-Conditioning Designers (ashrae.org) created the MERV Rating system to price the performance of air filters. MERV represents Minimum Performance Coverage Worth. MERV ratings vary from 1-16 with a greater number corresponding to a higher percent of fragments that are entrapped by the air filter.
Air filters with a low MERV score will just catch huge particles while filters with high MERV scores will certainly trap big, tiny, as well as even microscopic fragments such as germs and also odor.
There are 4 basic kinds of filters each with a different series of MERV rankings:
The initial type which is typically made of fiberglass spun glass, or polyester is developed a lot more to shield your system as opposed to boosting the air quality of your residence. The factor for this is that these filters have a low MERV ranking and will just remove huge particles from the air.
The second kind is the pleated filter, which has a higher MERV rating as well as will certainly eliminate both big and small particles from the air.
Third, is the pleated electrostatic filter. This is the best filter available as well as will certainly get rid of huge, little, and also microscopic bits from the air. The air filters with the highest possible MERV scores will certainly also remove small bacteria as well as even odors from your interior air. These are specifically helpful for people that deal with allergic reactions. Please take a moment to visit their page to find out more about ac unit freezing up.
And also finally, the washable air filters. When thinking about these you ought to remember that while they might last much longer due to the capacity to be cleaned and also reused, they are generally not near as reliable as pleated and also pleated electrostatic air filters.
The EPA (epa.gov) recommends air filters with a MERV ranking between 8 and also 13 while the American Lung Association (lungusa.org) recommends air filters with a MERV of 10 or higher.
When purchasing, utilize the MERV scores to assist you in your purchase. Additionally when shopping you’ll discover that generally air filters with a higher MERV ranking will cost a little bit more than those with reduced scores. With this in mind, constantly purchase the highest MERV score you can afford in the interest of securing your a/c system, keeping clean indoor air, as well as shielding your family members.