The main purpose of a furnace filter is to protect the furnace motor, fans and heating coil from damage by preventing airborne particles such as dust, human hair and animal dander from infiltrating the furnace. A good quality furnace filter not only prevents damage to the furnace, but also improves the airflow and the efficiency of the furnace in general. A furnace without a filter would become clogged and eventually fail to function due to overworking and overheating.
The quality of a furnace filter is determined by its Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value rating. Abbreviated as MERV, the rating scale determines the efficiency of air filters when it comes to the elimination of air pollutants or contaminants. With a numerical scale of 1-20, the most efficient air filters range from 17-20 while the less effective ones, when it comes to the eradication of smaller particles, rank at 1 to 4.
There are different types of Indoor Air Quality Improvement Equipment. The conventional filters consist of a disposable fiberglass that helps in preventing dust and lint from clogging the furnace. They are relatively cheap but limited in that they can only eliminate the large particles. Modern day filters include disposable pleated filters, electrostatic filters and high efficiency pleated filters.
Disposable Pleated Filters
The disposable pleated filters remove smaller particles like spores and pollen. Nonetheless, they tremendously reduce airflow velocity, making the system rather costly to operate.
Electrostatic Filters
Electrostatic filters employ the use of self-charging electrostatic materials to capture smaller particles such as smoke, pollen, dust and mold.
High Efficiency Air Filters
The high-efficiency pleated filters use the technology employed on electrostatic filters to eliminate the smallest of particles, micro particles that other filters cannot capture. These filters are common in HVAC systems and require professional installation considering their heavy nature. They are mostly common in hospitals and helpful to people with respiratory ailments such as asthma and other allergies.
It is important to service and/or replace air filters regularly to improve their efficiency. For more expertise information on Indoor Air Quality Improvement Equipment, please contact us.
