In its most basic function, an air filter removes impurities such as dust, pet dander or even bacteria from the air that flows through the system. Not only does this improve the air quality inside your home, it also protects your HVAC system from damage. Air filters keep debris and air particles out of sensitive components. Two places where dust and dirt can accumulate are the duct system and the air handler. Debris will accumulate over time, creating a variety of problems, as well as polluting the indoor air.
The purpose of air filters is to help improve the air quality of the house by trapping particles that are invisible to the naked eye. If we could see what is floating in our homes, we would be surprised. Most homes have some type of oven, heat pump, or HVAC system. Each one uses an air filter to prevent dust and particles from accumulating on the internal components of the heating and air conditioning system. If your system does not have an air filter, some problems could arise.
First, you won't have air filtration. Waste will be easily introduced into your unit, causing a cycle at a high limit and putting undue strain on the unit. One type that can be particularly difficult to find in the local store is the whole house air filter. These are very different from the most common one-inch filters. You may have heard them call whole-house air purifiers, which is a misnomer. An air purifier is an addition to your HVAC system, not part of it.
Although air filters do clean the air, they are part of your system and are not optional. Now that we've clarified it, let's get back to the topic. You will need as many whole house filters as there are air handlers, which may vary depending on how your HVAC system is configured. They don't just filter out bits of pollen and dust that would otherwise circulate around the house and lower indoor air quality. Particulate capture efficiency increases as filter becomes dirty; build-up on fibers reduces air openings and allows filter to capture more particulates.
Pleated filters made of disposable non-woven fabric have smaller pores, and pleats increase the surface area of the filter so that it can hold more particles than a flat surface. For all filters, the “nominal size” of an air filter means the rounded size, in which each dimension is rounded up or down to an integer. While not replacing an air filter seems negligible, it can leave homeowners with higher monthly bills or, worse still, having to repair or replace their HVAC system. These systems are passive; as long as the fan is running, they constantly filter all the air in your house. An air filter is usually made of a spun fiberglass material or of paper or pleated cloth enclosed in a cardboard frame.
The most efficient way to filter household air is through the forced air heating or central air conditioning system of your home. There is a standard bottom cut on one-inch filters, meaning all one-inch filters are ¼ to ½ smaller than their nominal size, but there is no standard bottom cut on whole house filters. MERVs range from 1 to 16, and a higher number indicates higher cleaning efficiency because it can filter smaller particles out of the air. The air passes through the filter and the material removes particulates and other contaminants from the air. In addition to their physical appearance, the main difference between a whole house filter and a regular one-inch filter is longevity.
Air filters
are essential for keeping your home's indoor air clean and healthy while also protecting your HVAC system from damage due to debris accumulation.An air filter is essentially a screen that fits into an HVAC system compartment to clean air as it circulates through a home. The purpose of air filters, also known as whole-house filters or purifiers, is to help improve indoor air quality by trapping particles that are invisible to the naked eye. They don't just filter out bits of pollen and dust that would otherwise circulate around the house; they also protect your HVAC system from damage due to debris accumulation by keeping dust and dirt out of sensitive components.
