A/C Filters & Furnace Filters Can Help Keep Your Home Clean

Did you know that heating and cooling your home accounts for up to half of your energy costs? That amounts to a big chunk of change and you certainly want to do all that you can to keep those costs to a minimum. Keeping your home comfortable year-round is important, but we all want to maximize our
energy savings at the same time. I’ve got some tips to keep your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system running at maximum efficiently.

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, or MERV for short, is a filter rating system devised by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to standardize and simplify filter efficiency ratings for the public. The higher the MERV rating, the higher the efficiency of the filter. Simply stated, a MERV 8 filter will remove smaller particles from the air than a MERV 3 filter.

The filter in your A/C or furnace serves more than just one purpose. They clean the air that circulates throughout your home. They control dust particles in the air. The higher end filters can even control allergens, In fact, most homeowners overlook the fact that a higher end filter helps keep the Evaporator Coil cleaner. What they do not realize, is the dirt that the filter does not trap is now being caught by the Evaporator Coil which typically sits on top of  the furnace and in turn will eventually lessen the air flow and shorten the life of  both the A/C unit and the furnace. Having the Evaporator Coil removed and cleaned may cost up to $400. Maintaining a clean filter allows your components to operate at maximum efficiently.  We highly recommend that you check your A/C or furnace filters monthly to ensure a clean safe haven for your family.

Homeowners buy expensive filters because they want to improve the air quality in their homes, ironically these filters can worsen air quality. A/C Filters 4 Less recommends looking inside the panel of the central air conditioning system where the manufacturers rating label can be found. Typically one of the ratings is Total ESP, which is the maximum resistance for which the fan is rated.

When Total ESP is greater than the fans rating the fan slows down, which causes several problems. First, there may not be efficient air flow to ensure even cooling throughout the home. Second, the air passing over the evaporator coil may be insufficient to ensure proper dehumidification. Dehumidification is important to keep mold from growing and contaminating the home and air.

We recommend our Flanders Precisionaire EZ Flow Fiberglass Disposable Flat Panel filters. They can be used in both heating and air conditioning systems and come in a wide variety of sizes. We can also custom make the EZ Flow filters to your exact size, if one of the many standard sizes won't work for you. If you are looking for a filter with minimal air flow restriction, then this is the right filter for you. They are available in 1" and 2" sizes. The EZ Flow disposable filters, are one of the most popular filters in today's market, designed for protection of AC and furnace HVAC units in residential and light commercial applications.

The EZ Flow Flat Panel filter is a standard grade AC or furnace filter of the same type that has been protecting furnaces and central air conditioners around the world for over 50 years. The filtering medium is continuous filament spun glass. The frame is made with one continuous piece of chipboard to guard against corner separation and is strengthened by a metal retainer wall on the downstream side. For peak equipment protection and energy efficiency, these filters should be changed on a monthly basis in periods of high use.