Selecting The Best Air Filter For Your Home
It is estimated that the air you breathe inside your home is more polluted than the air outside your home. You of course want more for yourself and your family, you want beyond simply heating and cooling the air in your home… you want great indoor air quality for your family. You can have that by arming yourself with a little more knowledge. So follow along and learn how.
Selecting the best air filter requires you to learn a little about the different types of filters, what each type specializes in, and whether you need an all-in-one model to meet your specialized indoor air quality needs. In this article you will be presented with what we are calling “How to Select the Best Air Filter For Your Home 101″.
In order to provide you with the knowledge necessary for you to know how to select the best air filter for your home air conditioning system, we are including just enough for you to either research in more detail, or make a rational buying decision based on your actual needs. This article is by no means meant to replace professional medical recommendations, it is for information only with the intent to arm you with the knowledge that may help improve your current indoor air quality needs.
A Little History
The Air Conditioning industry, like many others, have developed “societies” that have worked diligently over the decades, and centuries in some instances, to improve the benefits to humankind. American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE). ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability within the industry. Through research, written standards, publications, and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. ASHRAE was formed as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers by the merger in 1959 of American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) founded in 1894 and The American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) founded in 1904.
ASHRAE along with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developed this standard primarily to establish a uniform comparative testing procedure meaningful to users and manufacturers for evaluating performance of air cleaning devices used in general ventilation for removing particulate matter. This standard was released as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2012 – Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by Particle Size.
Filter Efficiency Ratings
Whole house and building air purifiers usually receive MERV ratings of between 1 and 16, though the upper limit is sometimes extended to 20. Common residential air purification systems tend to fall within a narrower range. Higher numbers translate to more effective air filtration. There are pros and cons when increasing the MERV value that your HVAC professional can advise you on. With the invention of the super high efficiency air conditioning systems with the advanced electronics and communicating technologies it is critical that the correct filtration system is selected. Proper select will help ensure the longevity of your equipment along with a clean indoor air quality.
The MERV filter efficiency rating guide helps you select the appropriate rating range that will effectively serve your home air filtration needs to meet the quality air requirements you can expect. [Clicking on the chart to the left will provide you with the full size version of that chart]
Your friendly neighborhood Wallen AC representative will be able to provide you with honest value based on your individual needs. We will always start you out with the simplest and least complicated solution. We will only advise more complex and expensive solutions based on your individual and personalized needs.
Filter Types
There are several options when it comes to filtering media for your home air conditioning system. One of the simplest you can get is a customized frame with reusable foam prefilter, and precut replaceable fiber fabric. This will provide bare bones protection for your equipment. Your home and belongings are more important than this, so we are introducing you to Clean Comfort whole-home products that were designed with energy efficiency in mind.
Whole home air cleaners by Clean Comfort help protect and maintain the efficiency of your central heating and cooling system by eliminating the build-up of dirt, dust and other pollutants. These pollutants can reduce your system’s efficiency, increase maintenance calls and lead to premature failure of your heating and cooling system.
Preservation and Protection of Your Home and Your Belongings
Poor indoor air quality can cause a variety of harmful effects to both your home and belongings:
- An overly humid indoor environment can lead to visible mold growth, mildew on carpeting and draperies, wet stains on walls and ceilings, paint peeling and warping woodwork.
- Too dry of an indoor environment can lead to shrinkage of hardwood floors and wood trim and moldings, and cracking drywall and plaster.
- Musty smells and lingering odors can not only make you uncomfortable, they can infiltrate and “stick” to porous surfaces, including your carpeting, drapery and other textiles.
Clean and Comfortable: We’ve got you covered
Whatever your indoor air issue may be, Clean Comfort has a whole-house solution that can help. Contact your local Clean Comfort dealer to find out which Clean Comfort product is best for your family and your home.
Hybrid Air Cleaners – AE Series
The Clean Comfort brand AE10 Series Hybrid Air Cleaner is an efficient way to remove particles as small as 0.3 microns from the air in your home. Ideal for installations where there‘s room for only a 1” filter rack, the AE10 is a great performance upgrade from a standard 1” furnace filter*.
*Standard furnace filters are defined as 1” deep and MERV 8 or less
WHY DO I NEED THIS UNIT?
- Efficient air cleaning from a device that’s only 1” wide
- Fits virtually any residential heating and cooling equipment
- Low energy consumption – Operates on less than 2 Watts of power
- Easy to maintain – Changing media pads only takes 5 minutes and only needs to be done every 4 months
Electronic Air Cleaners – AE Series
The Clean Comfort brand AE14 Series Electronic Air Cleaner is a four-stage filtration system that powerfully attracts and traps solid and liquid airborne particles as small as 0.01 microns from the air in your home. The AE14 Series is well-suited for homes where highefficiency air cleaning is desired but system air flow restriction is a concern.
WHY DO I NEED THIS UNIT?
- Low energy consumption – only 30 Watts of power and runs only when the system fan is operating
- Lower airflow resistance than media air cleaners of similar cleaning performance
- Easy to maintain – Washing the collector cells takes only 15 minutes every 3-4 months, restoring them to their original cleaning efficiency
Media Air Cleaners – AM Series
The Clean Comfort brand AM Series of media air cleaners are a cost effective way to filter the air in your home compared to electronic air cleaners. These efficient air cleaners help to remove household dust, lint, pet dander and even pollen as these contaminants pass through the return air ducts of your central heating and cooling system. Available in a wide range of sizes and configurations, your HVAC professional can recommend the model that best fits your system.
WHY DO I NEED THIS UNIT?
- Helps maintain efficient operation of your central heating and cooling system by reducing airborne particles that can build up on the surface of the cooling coil
- Reduces allergens, such as pollen and pet dander, that can trigger asthmatic or allergic reactions
- Helps to remove a wide range of airborne dust and particulates inside your home
HEPA Air Cleaners – AMHP Series
The AMHP-560 air cleaner uses a certified True HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter which removes 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns (1/84,000 of an inch) from a home’s air. It also helps remove odors, such as those from cooking, smoking or painting with the Carbon VOC Prefilter and After Filter. By removing particulates from the air, this air cleaner also helps protect and prolong the operating efficiency of the home’s heating and cooling equipment.
WHY DO I NEED THIS UNIT?
- HEPA performance: 99.97% removal of all airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger
- Up to 560 CFM of treated air delivered back to the home. On average, it can treat all the air in a 2,000 square foot home in just under 30 minutes of operation when running continuously on full speed.
- Removes airborne particulates without adding static pressure to the heating and cooling system, meaning no impact on the home’s airflow
5-Stage Air Treatment – AMHP Series
The AMHP-250 Air Cleaner is the most advanced air treatment system in the Clean Comfort brand family of products. With five stages of cleaning, the AMHP-250 filters, purifies and deodorizes the air in your home at a rate of up to 250 cubic feet per minute providing clean and comfortable air for your family to breathe … throughout your entire home.
WHY DO I NEED THIS UNIT?
- HEPA performance: helps remove airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger
- UV Purification: helps to deactivate airborne mold spores, bacteria and viruses
- Traps and destroys household odors rather than simply masking them with fragrance
Contact your friendly neighborhood Wallen AC Service Representative for your whole house air cleaner solution at 561-684-5555. Wallen AC is a licensed and insured 3rd generation family owned and operated Air Conditioning & Heating Company that’s been serving Southern Florida since 1969. Call 561-684-5555 to schedule your service, repair, or new equipment installation. Outside our normal hours of business, we provide 24 hours 7 days a week emergency service. Tell them Richard sent you.
References:
http://www.airpurifierguide.org/faq/merv-ratings
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/guide-air-cleaners-home