The Air Filter is one of the most important components to a properly running Air Conditioning and or Heating system. Filters were originally designed to protect the units from dust and dirt building up on coils, fan motors and blower wheels. This kind of build up on the internal parts ultimately leads to pre-mature failure of your system if these important parts are not kept clean.
Air filters today are used to filter the air to not only protect your equipement but also to provide quality air in your home or office too. Since Heating and Air systems require adequate air flow to produce the most efficient comfort level in your home, it is important to choose the right Air filters for your system.
Using a filter rating that is too high for your system may cause damage. Higher rated filters offer resistance to air flow that may place too much strain on the fan motor in your air handler, leading to system failure.
Using a filter rating that is too low will prevent you from maximizing the level of clean air in your home. Typically, the 99 cent ones from Wal-mart, that restricts airflow the least is best for most builder’s grade HVAC installations.
What you should use is the most efficient air filter that is appropriate for your HVAC system. Some filters are so efficient that they will reduce the level of air flow through system. The most appropriate air filter for your system depends upon a number of factors including its age and the fan motor design.
An air filter “cleans” the air by serving as a physical barrier to particles hanging in the air. Manufacturers use a number of materials in air filters, such as fiberglass. Additionally, configuration of these materials can impact the filter’s efficiency. For example, a pleated Air filters provides greater surface area to trap particles than a flat panel filter and will thus capture more particles even if made out of an identical material.