Remodeling a Home

Most homeowners don't think about their furnace filters, especially when the furnace is working smoothly. But a simple filter can have a tremendous impact on your furnace's overall performance, efficiency, and even longevity. To get a good idea of how your air filter affects your furnace, here are a few key factors to keep in mind.

A Clogged Filter Can Cause Complications

All furnaces need an ample amount of airflow in order to operate properly. Your furnace filter is designed to capture dust, debris, and other harmful particles from the air stream before they reach the inner workings of your furnace. Given enough time, however, the debris buildup on your filter can grow until it completely blocks your furnace's airflow.

The dirtier your air filter gets, the harder your furnace must work to maintain its steady airflow. As a result, your furnace could experience excessive wear and tear and eventually break down prematurely. Fortunately, you can take preventive steps to ensure your furnace's performance and reliability by checking and replacing your furnace filters on a monthly basis.

Choosing Cheap Filters Can Cut Air Quality

Furnace filters come in all shapes and sizes, so it's not surprising to see filters come in a variety of price brackets. The least expensive furnace filters often use fiberglass as their filtration media. While fiberglass keeps out large dust particles, it's often ineffective at stopping smaller airborne pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These pollutants can negatively impact your home's indoor air quality.

Furnace filters that rely on pleated polyester or cotton are slightly more expensive. However, they're far more effective at capturing airborne pollutants. Choosing the cheapest furnace filter isn't always the best solution, especially if you're concerned about your home's indoor air quality.

Higher MERV Ratings Aren't Always Better

Nearly all standard furnace filters are rated on a MERV scale ranging from 1 to 16, with MERV ratings of 17 through 20 reserved for HEPA filters. Like most homeowners, you'd think that the higher the MERV rating, the better the air filter is at removing harmful particles. This is true, but only to a certain extent.

As you move up the MERV scale, you can see furnace filters improve in their filtration capabilities. Beyond MERV 12, however, air resistance becomes a factor that drags down overall furnace efficiency. Simply put, most residential furnaces will have trouble maintaining adequate airflow when using filters rated beyond MERV 13 unless modifications are made.

Luckily, there's a sweet spot between fiberglass filters rated at MERV 1 through 4 and highly-rated furnace filters. Furnace filters rated between MERV 8 and 11 typically offer the best results for most homes without sacrificing performance or efficiency.

Contact a heating repair company like All Arctic Air for more information.