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The Last AC Filter Guide You’ll Ever Need

When you purchase a house, you inherit an endless to-do list to keep everything running smoothly. High on this list should be maintaining your Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system to keep it working efficiently, which includes regularly replacing your home’s air filters (also called AC filters or furnace filters) so your family can have excellent indoor air quality.

As part of your HVAC system, air filters remove pollution, dirt, dust, and other particles from the air in your home and, ultimately, your lungs.

Indoor pollution can be harmful to you and your family’s health. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

  • Indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than the worst outside air, and it has been ranked among the top five environmental dangers.
  • The average human inhales approximately 15,000 or more quarts of air per day, and the average person spends about 90% of their day inside.
  • The increasing numbers of children with severe allergies and asthma have been linked to poor indoor air quality.
  • The American Heart Association has linked poor air quality to heart problems and lists it as a leading cause of lung cancer.

Why Do Particulates Matter?

The tiny particles in the air you see when you look through a ray of sunshine are called particulate matter (also called particulates). Examples of particulates are pet dander, hair, carpet fibers, pollution, dust mites, pollen, smoke, mold spores, and bacteria.

Air filters can prevent these particulates from circulating indoors and causing health problems to the residence or the HVAC system to be sluggish. However, filters vary in particulate size removal, so installing the appropriate ones for your particular application is crucial.

What Is a MERV Rating?

Developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) is a rating system to describe a filter’s ability to capture particles between 0.3 and 10 microns (µm). One micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter. For example, a human red blood cell is about 5 µm, and human hair is about 50 µm. The human eye cannot observe anything smaller than 40 µm.

MERV ratings range from 1-16 and help compare the performance of different filters. As the numbers get higher, the more effective they are at filtering out particulates ranging from 20-90% filtration.

MERV 1-4

MERV 1-4 filters are going to give you the most basic filtration. They will trap larger particulates such as hair, carpet and textile fibers, and small bugs. However, they will only filter out particulate 3.0-10.0 µm or larger with less than 20% efficiency for smaller particles and 65-80% for larger. They are typically used in window units and residential areas.

MERV 5-8

MERV 5-8 filters capture particulate matter between 3.0-10.0 µm with 20-35% efficiency for smaller particles and 80-95% for larger. They will filter out cement dust, sand, and aerosols like hairspray. They are a popular choice for residential homes, workplaces, and buildings.

MERV 9-12

MERV 9-12 filters capture particulate matter between 1.0-3.0 µm with 40-75% efficiency for small particles and 90-95% for larger. They will trap milled flour and welding fumes =. They are typically used in specialized commercial buildings and laboratories.

MERV 13-16

MERV 13-16 filters capture particulate matter between 0.3-1.0 µm at 89-95% efficiency for smaller particles and almost 98% for larger. They will filter out bacteria, smoke, and even sneeze particles. These are typically used in hospitals, specialized commercial buildings, and smoking lounges.

What Is HEPA?

High-efficiency particulate air filters

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are top-of-the-line and considered to be the most effective. These filters are fabricated with 4-5″ pleated synthetic cotton attached to a rigid metal grid. They are best for people with respiratory problems, severe allergies, or autoimmune diseases as all HEPA air filters must meet a minimum efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 microns. They filter out combustion smoke, viruses, and radioactive materials.

HEPA filters should only be used with HVAC units designed explicitly for them or are compatible because of their thick size.

HEPA filters are often used in facilities that manufacture pharmaceuticals.

What Is ULPA?

Ultra-Low Particulate Air (ULPA) filters remove 99.999% of particulates that are greater than or equal to 0.12 µm. These filters are often the choice for cleanrooms, food processing facilities, and hospitals as they completely remove dust, bacteria, pigments, pollen, metallurgical dust/fumes, and ground talcum powder, and most oil smoke, tobacco smoke, rosin smoke, smog, and insecticide dust.

What Types Of Filters Are Available?

Fiberglass

fiberglass air filter

Fiberglass filters are made of spun glass and readily available for purchase at most home improvement stores and grocery stores. Unfortunately, they are disposable and must be replaced every 30 days.

Washable

washable air filter

Washable filters are constructed of a wire-like mesh material. These filters are reusable, must be washed approximately every 30 days, and can last up to 5 years. However, while they are more environmentally friendly than disposable filters due to creating less waste, they tend to be on the pricier side.

Pleated

pleated air filter

Pleated filters are made with polyester or cotton fibers that are folded like an accordion to increase the surface area of the filter to catch a higher volume of contaminants. While they are often used to remove allergens, they can restrict the airflow in some HVAC systems.

Electrostatic

electrostatic air filter

Electrostatic filters have self-charging cotton or paper fibers that attract air impurities. Like a magnet, this filter draws dirt, dust, and other particulate matter to trap it and prevent it from recirculating in your home.

How Does Sizing Work?

Air filters are sized two different ways – nominal size and actual size. The actual size is the exact dimensions without rounding. The nominal size is the rounded dimensions of the filter. This means that on 1″ and 2″ air filters, the nominal size does not include the undercut, and the actual size does include the undercut. A standard filter with a nominal size of 14″x14″x1″ might have an actual size of 13¾” x 13¾” x ¾”.

The length and width of air filters are interchangeable as the filter can be easily rotated 90° to fit in the space. However, the smallest of the dimensions will almost always be the depth.

Which Air Filter Is the Best For Me?

Use our Air Filter Selection Tool to sift through our thousands of air filters by dimensions and MERV ratings for the one you need.

ISC Sales has been in business for over 30 years, serving the industrial sector with expert solutions and products. Call us at (877) 602-0010 to let us help you identify the best air filters for your needs.

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