That's why it's important to check your filters at least monthly and change them when they get dirty.īut what if they aren't dirty? Read on to find out what to do. A clogged filter may cause your system to run continuously, driving up your heating or cooling bills. The denser the filter, the harder the system has to work to pull in air. The same is true of your heating and air system.
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If you upgrade to the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) mask that filters out particles as small as 0.3 microns with up to 97 percent efficiency, it gets even harder to pull in enough air to keep you going. It's harder to breathe through the mask than it is if you aren't wearing one. Think about times you've worn a dust mask while you worked on a project. A by-product of cleaning the air is a restriction of the air-flow through the system. The particle-removing efficiency of the filter is inversely related to the energy efficiency of your heating and air system. The particle catching efficiency actually goes up as the filter gets dirty buildup on the fibers shrinks the openings the air passes through and allows the filter to capture more particles. Some are charged with static electricity to attract and hold air-born allergens. These filters have MERV ratings of 3 and higher depending on the density of the fabric and the number of pleats. Pleated filters made of nonwoven, disposable fabric have smaller pores, and the pleats increase the surface area of the filter so it can hold more particles than a flat surface can. The cheap, 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) thick, disposable filters made of jumbled fiberglass or natural fiber strands typically have a MERV rating of 1 but can go up to 4. MERVs range from 1 to 16, with a higher number indicating a higher cleaning efficiency because it can filter smaller particles out of the air. MERV ratings indicate the size of particles that a filter can remove from the air passing through it. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. In recent years, this air cleaning function has become more important to homeowners, and manufacturers have designed filters that use your heating and air system to remove microscopic particles like dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, plant and mold spores, and even smoke from the air in your home. So, the air filter helps your heating and cooling system do its job, keeps it running efficiently and protects it so it will last longer.įilters also help to keep dust from building up in your ducts, or being blown into other rooms of your house. Clogged coils can't heat or cool the air passing over them, and they may damage the system. It traps air-born particles that get sucked in with the air and keeps them from blocking the blower and clogging up the coils. The air filter is stationed at the point where air is pulled into the system. To change the temperature in your home, your heating and air-conditioning system sucks in air from a room, pulls it over coils to heat or chill it, then blows the tempered air through ducts to the other rooms in your home.
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