The quality of your home’s air supply directly impacts your family’s health. Living in an environment with a lot of airborne pollen, dust, and pollutants can leave you susceptible to various respiratory illnesses. These contaminants will also worsen your family’s allergies and their quality of life. Your HVAC air filter removes debris before it can travel through your ductwork and into your home. Finding the ideal filter for your household will boost your air quality and keep your loved ones comfortable.
Dangers of Low Air Quality
The quality of your breathing air is measured by the amount of pollutants it contains. Common debris includes particulate matter, carbon monoxide, pollen, mold spores, smoke, and asbestos. You may inadvertently let contaminants into your home when you open your doors or windows. Some gases can come up through your foundation or leaking natural gas pipes.
Constantly breathing in this debris will irritate your nasal passages and lungs. You may notice your family only struggles with unexplained health symptoms while in the home. They could frequently sneeze, cough, struggle with congestion, or complain of headaches and fatigue. Loved ones with existing conditions like pet or seasonal allergies or asthma tend to experience heightened side effects and more frequent flare-ups. The long-term consequences of breathing unhealthy air could include developing respiratory illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Many homes today are built to be completely insulated from the outdoor world, which makes it easy for air quality issues to rapidly worsen. A lack of air filtration and effective ventilation can leave your indoor environment several times more polluted than the air outside your home. That’s why it’s so important to invest in filters that can efficiently remove and neutralize airborne debris and bacteria.
Different HVAC Filter Options
Not every air filter is built the same, which could have a significant effect on your air quality if you don’t use the right one. You’re likely most familiar with disposable fiberglass filters. This option is commonly available at your local grocery or home improvement store. They’re made of spun fiberglass contained within a light cardboard frame. While this filter is the cheapest, it’s not ideal if you’re worried about your air quality. They only excel at removing larger debris like hair or dust but can’t tackle spores or other allergens. Additionally, if this filter isn’t changed monthly, it can restrict airflow and leave your HVAC system struggling.
If you want to save money on your HVAC filters, you may want to look into washable options. Reusable filters are eco-friendly and can be used for years if you adhere to their care requirements. Rather than replacing them every month, you’ll instead have to remove and rinse them. It’s necessary to make sure they’re completely clean and dry before putting them back in place. Damp filters can become an ideal breeding ground for fungal growth. While these filters are budget-friendly, they’re not great if you need high indoor air quality. They tend to have low minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) ratings similar to fiberglass filters. You should only consider washable varieties if you don’t have major allergies or air quality concerns.
For a better alternative to fiberglass filters, consider pleated varieties. Composed of folded cotton or polyester, these filters boast more surface area to catch debris. They’re available in disposable and reusable options and can trap more difficult pollutants like dander and pollen. Be sure to keep the filter’s MERV rating in mind when choosing one. Fiberglass filters can have MERV ratings varying between five and 13. Lower ratings indicate the filter won’t be able to pull as much smaller debris from your air.
The best filter on the market is the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. These filters can remove at least 99.97% of all airborne contaminants as small as 0.3 microns. They’re incredibly powerful filters with average MERV ratings of around 16. HEPA filters can take care of lingering tobacco smoke, bacteria, spores, and harmful viruses, making them ideal for households with children and the elderly. However, not every HVAC system can handle a HEPA filter. These varieties are so strong that they will effectively restrict the amount of airflow going into the system. You should never use a HEPA filter without first consulting with an HVAC professional.
Facts That Impact Filter Usage
HVAC filters come with standard guidelines for recommended usage. For example, a fiberglass filter should be replaced monthly while a pleated filter can last up to three months. While these recommendations can give you a baseline care routine, it’s important to also factor in your household’s specific needs. The size of your home and family as well as whether you have pets can all impact your indoor air quality.
When choosing the ideal filter, be sure to keep in mind your property’s square footage. Larger homes have more air to clean, meaning they’ll go through filters faster than a smaller house. You should also consider how often you’re in the home. For instance, vacation homes that are only used seasonally may not require as many filter changes as a property you stay in year-round. Additionally, bigger families tend to fill up filters faster than a one or two-person household. Pets add another challenge: they can track dirt, pests, and growths outside the home.
Signs of Poor Air Quality
If you’re not using the right air filters or switching them out frequently enough, your home could grapple with unhealthy air quality. This can manifest as more visible dust in your air and on surfaces like your counters, shelves, and window blinds. Your home may get dirtier faster, requiring you to constantly vacuum and clean.
Depending on the quality of your breathing air, your family could also experience the symptoms of sick-building syndrome. They may complain of sore throats, skin irritation, dizziness, difficulty breathing, irritability or fever. Even if your air quality isn’t yet dangerous, excessive contaminants can rapidly worsen your allergies.
Unfortunately, along with harming your health, poor air quality can also negatively impact your budget. If your filters are filling up faster, they’re more likely to let contaminants into your HVAC system. The debris will settle between the equipment’s motors and belts and make it work harder to create heating. Lower-quality filters can also restrict airflow, forcing your furnace to run for longer cycles.
Working on your air quality can provide lasting benefits that keep your family consistently comfortable throughout the years. The first step to tackling airborne pollutants is making sure you’re using the right filter for your household.
Your Expert Clean Air Team
Look to Precision Heating & Air for experienced and honest indoor comfort services in Dallas, GA, and nearby communities. We’re a locally-owned business that’s been dedicated to customer satisfaction and quality service for over 30 years. When you rely on our NATE-certified technicians, you can expect unmatched attention to detail, endless friendliness, and personally tailored solutions. We offer heating and cooling repairs and tune-ups as well as complete replacements. Our team can also test your air quality, clean your ducts, and install systems like a new water heater or dehumidifier. Schedule your appointment now.
