When talking about air filters, it's important to start with how they work to make sure the air inside your home remains clean and free of unwanted, nasty airborne particles. The air filters in your home ventilation systems consist of a tight mesh weaving that allows clean air to pass through while irritants remain trapped. The result is a cleaner smelling and feeling home that lets you breathe more easily.
But when buying an air filter, you may come across several different options for your air filters. There are a variety of sizes and different costing air filters on the market right now that may confuse you a bit. Which is the best for your home? Why are their different prices if they do the same thing? What is the difference between cheap and expensive air filters?
Higher Quality Air Filters, High-Quality Air
Air filter quality is actually graded on a set system called the MERV rating chart, which you can use to see just how efficient a filter is. The higher the MERV rating, the tighter the mesh weaving, and the more effective a filter is at cleaning airflow. Now, at it's the lowest rating, you can expect an air filter to block out some basic particles like carpet fibers and pollen. These larger particles are relatively large compared to other airborne issues so they are much easier to filter out of incoming airflow. The problem comes from much smaller air traveling issues.
Microscopic particles like smoke and bacteria just aren't filtered when passing through lower MERV rated air filters. The mesh weaving is too loose so the air traveling through isn't as clean as you may like. The pros and cons of expensive air filters are full display here with higher pricing being a clear con but with the benefit of providing cleaner, safer air for a home. However, it is important to bear in mind that no air filters last forever. They will eventually need to be replaced over time.
Replacing Your Air Filters
Air filters do not last forever, they continue to filter air over time and the irritants they trap will begin to build up. This will continue to happen over time until the filters become so dirty that air starts having a tough time flowing through. This leads to the air inside of your home growing stale and full of irritants that should be flowing out. To avoid this, be sure to regularly swap out old air filters for new ones. It may seem a bit costly, but your lungs will thank you when the air inside your home continues to remain clean and healthy to breathe.
Filter Energy Use
As a final note, it is important that you first check your HVAC system's ability to pump air through a ventilation system. Higher MERV rated air filters were made for high energy HVAC systems for buildings with powerful ventilation systems. Your home may not have a ventilation system capable of pushing air through high MERV air filters, so it is important to check beforehand to match the correct size and filtration ability of the filter to the system. After that, you should pay for high-quality air filters to make sure that the air coming through into your home remains fresh and clean.
