Heating and cooling account for about 50 percent of your Gary home’s energy costs. If you’re looking for ways to increase system efficiency, one surefire way is to regularly change your furnace and A/C filters, and here’s why:
- A dirty air filter impedes the flow of air to your system and makes it work harder to keep you comfortable.
- A clean filter reduces your energy costs and prevents undue wear on your system.
- A clean air filter keeps dust from entering your system. An accumulation of grime on your system’s components can lead to inefficiency and premature failure.
- A dirty air filter enlarges your carbon footprint by requiring your system to use more energy to compensate for reduced airflow.
- A clean filter improves your indoor air quality.
Check your air filter every month, and when it’s clogged, replace it with a clean, quality filter. To choose the right filter for your needs, use the minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV, scale, which rates a filter on its ability to trap a certain size and number of particles. Higher MERV values mean a better filter.
- MERV 1-4: Low quality flat filter. These filters do little to improve your indoor air quality, trapping only particles larger than 10 microns, such as dust mites.
- MERV 5-8: Medium quality pleated filter. Sufficient for most air quality needs, these filters trap particles as small as 3 microns, including mold spores.
- MERV 9-12: High quality pleated filter. These filters are ideal for those who suffer from allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions, trapping particles as small as 1 micron, including Legionella.
- MERV 13-20: Generally used in hospitals and food-processing facilities. Most residential HVAC systems won’t accommodate these filters, although air cleaners with them are available.
Before upgrading your furnace or A/C filter, check the specs of your system to determine what type of filter it will accommodate. If you’re still unsure, contact your HVAC-system professional
For more information about choosing a furnace or an A/C filter for your Gary home, contact Meyer’s. We can answer all of your other heating and cooling system questions, as well.