Furnace Air Filters
by Bobbie
A person’s furnace air filter is contrived to withdraw dust from air as it passes across your furnace. The longer your furnace filter is installed the dingier it becomes. This accumulated loading of the filter with debris causes a resistance to flow of air through the filtrate and cuts back air flow.
Gas and oil furnaces, like all heating and air conditioner gear, are projected to exhibit a specific volume of airflow at all moments to function decently and at highest efficiency. This air flow is evaluated in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute).
To obtain utmost efficiency from these systems the walls of the heat exchanger are made as thin as possible but not so thin that they cannot withstand the heat that they are subjected to during normal operation.
A furnace filter that remains in the system so long that it begins to negatively impact air flow can be dangerous. As the amount of air flowing over the heat exchanger declines, the operating temperature of the heat exchanger increases.
The good news is that properly designed furnaces have high limit switches that prevent excessive heating of the heat exchanger.
A furnace can operate a long time on an auto reset limit switch without anybody even knowing.
The Importance of Changing Your Furnace Air Filter
You may be surprised to learn that the air you breathe while inside your home may be several times worse than the air outside. This is largely because of dust and other contaminants in the air you breathe indoors. Fortunately, you can use a furnace filter to help rid your home of these contaminants so you can begin breathing much cleaner air in your home.
Electrostatic Air Filter
Electrostatic air filters help filter dust and other elements from the air without restricting the air flow of your air conditioner or furnace. Electrostatic air filters collect dust and various particles by emitting a static charge. This charge attracts the contaminants, allowing clean air to flow into your home.
Media Furnace Air Filter
Used most often by businesses that must change their air filters frequently, media air filters have a greater loading capacity than other furnace air filters. However, while these type of filters can efficiently remove large particles from the air, they are less efficient at filtering smaller particles such as viruses and breathable dust.
Pleated Furnace Air Filters
Pleated air filters are regarded as one of the best-performing and high-efficiency filter types. Their design allows these type of filters to increase their surface area and lengthen their lifespan. They can easily capture and remove most contaminants from the air while their construction allows your air conditioning and heating system to operate efficiently.
HEPA Air Filters
In order to qualify as a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, the filter must be capable of removing 99.97% of all contaminants 0.3 microns or larger. This includes mold spores and dust particles. Designed with an efficient pleat construction, these air filters are costly and most often used in one-room environments (as opposed to a home or large building). These filters are effective for people who suffer from allergies or asthmatic symptoms.
Activated Carbon Furnace Air Filter
Activated carbon filters are highly effective for removing odors from your home. Once allowed entry to your home, cigarette smoke, gas, chemicals and other odors can permeate a household and often be difficult to remove. This can be both annoying to those living in the home and even harmful to those with severe asthma. An activated carbon filter uses a system of tiny pores. Highly-absorbent, these pores attract particles by forming a chemical bond with the contaminants in the air.
I hope this assists you to better understand which furnace air filters you should select for your particular circumstance.