Filter Care Information and Helpful Filter Selection Tips:
As the weather warms up and you turn back on your air conditioning, it’s a good reminder to change your filter. Filters can be a forgotten part of your home’s care and if not changed regularly during routine maintenance, can lead to a broken system that is costly and time-consuming to fix. Below is more information on what filters do in your system, why filter care is important, and how to make sure you have the right filter for your system.
What Filters Are For:
Air filters co-exist with your HVAC system and circulate fresh air through your ductwork to your home. They are the barrier blocking dust, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, and even viruses from passing through. Filters need to be changed routinely to experience the best filtration. Most manufacturers give a recommended time frame for changing your filter that can span anywhere from 1 month to once a year based on your filter. Routine maintenance plans from service companies also typically require a minimum monthly change-out period to keep your system warranty viability as well!
Why Filter Care is Important:
You may be thinking that you can’t even remember the last time you switched your filter and you don’t notice anything wrong with your air quality, however, the damage to your system is something you can’t see until it’s too late. If your filter is full, your system has to work harder to pull air through which can cause a deterioration over time. There can be signs that you are pushing your filter’s lifeline too long like a rattling blower or feeling that the air is not coming out or flowing even when the air conditioning is on. If you are experiencing any of those call us today! Like anything in life, if you do not take care of it, it won’t last as long.
Which Filter is Right For You:
There are two things to consider when finding the right filter for your system and home needs. The size of your system and the quality of filtration you want. Every unit has a certain filter size required for the system so there is not much wiggle room there. Your real deciding factor is what MERV rating (minimum efficiency reporting value) you want. MERV rating equals the filter’s ability to capture particles and also coincides with how frequently you’ll want to change your filter. The MERV scale goes from MERV 1 to MERV 20. Here at JK we only recommend filters that have a MERV 8 rating and higher or anything above 85% filtration. These filters are either Commercial level or HEPA & ULPA level filters. The lower the MERV rating your filter has, the more frequently you will need to switch them out and the less protection your home has.
We hope that this post helped inform you on filter care, importance, and selection. If you have more questions or would like help figuring out how frequently you should be changing your filter contact us today! We are always happy to help with any of your heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical needs!
