Below is the copy of an interview with one of our Comfort Consultants, Bruce Perkins. Bruce was speaking with NBC15 on how to choose the right filter for your home.
Do you know how to choose the right furnace filter for your home? You may not give it much thought, but you should! Filters have become much more high tech than then were just a few years ago, and a change can have a big impact on a lot of little things inside your home. Finding the right filter can not only save you money, it can improve the air quality in your home too.
“There are so many different filter types out there on the market now,” said Bruce Perkins, Harker Heating and Cooling. “You can continue to use what you have, but if you want to upgrade, there are options for that as well.”
Today’s filters are engineered to keep harmful particles from cycling back into the air we breath in our homes. “The filter is your first defense in stopping any pollutants in the air and re-releasing into the air stream,” Perkins explained. “It really does make that big of a difference! If you’ve got allergies, asthma, the style of filter can have a direct impact on that air quality and even your respiratory system.”
“The most common filter out there is probably going to be the one inch filter,” Perkins said. “Most people have seen this, or have had one in their home, attached to the side of the furnace. It’s a good filter, but it’s not as effective as some of the media type of filters. AprilAire, a Madison based company, makes the higher efficiency media filters and they are several inches wider than the one inch filter, so they’re going to stop a lot more particles in the air stream just based on the overall surface area of that.”
Compared to the flat box shaped one inch filter, the accordion style media filter looks more advanced and it is. But what if your furnace unit didn’t come with a filter like that?
“Most units can use a filter like this,” Perkins explained. “If there’s enough room around the equipment we can add one of these filters onto the existing unit without drastic changes to the equipment lay out.”
Perkins says it’s a small change that can make a big difference.
“It’s designed to grab more particulates out of the air than a one inch filter, and not only that, you can leave this in longer than a one inch filter,” Perkins said. “A one inch filter you need to change at least every month while you are operating the furnace or air conditioner. The bigger one can last generally six to 12 months. The higher efficiency filter will even help with dust in your home. It’s gonna minimize dust being reintroduced into the air and you’ll see that you have to dust less frequently.”
Making changes to your air filter or changing to a different style may make a big difference in your home, but one that you should consult with a professional about. Harker Heating and Cooling spends time educating customers about the benefits of different types of filters and how they will impact the homeowner’s health as well as their budget.
