Your home may contain pollen, lint, mold and plant spores, pet dander, bacteria and others that are trapped. Whenever you use your stove or other cooking equipment inside the house, particulate matter contained inside the house increases. These matter ranges in sizes from tiniest particles that are 3 – 5 microns in size that affects your health mostly to larger particles such as human hair.

This is why you need to have a better air filtration in your home. Not all filters are created equal. So, you need to learn some basics about your home air filter.

Types of filters
Filters are disposable, reusable or refillable. Many experts today advice not to reuse filters just by washing and vacuuming because they never get completely cleaned and could restrict the airflow causing damages to your furnace. A home air filter could come in fiberglass, metal, or natural or manmade fibers. The filter efficiency depends on the fiber size, fiber density, and air flow rate.

The minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV)
This scale ranges from 1 to 16 and the measurements are in microns. What do they mean? This identifies the filtering ability of a given furnace filter to capture and hold dust and dirt in many sizes. It was introduced by an international committee that oversees the furnace filter industry.

But not all filter manufacturers use the system. Most experts recommends that a home should have filter rated 10 or higher. MERV rating of 9 to 12 are used in industrial and manufacturing establishments and intended to capture 1 to 3 micron particulate matter. They are also good for residential uses for dust control. If you are using a replacement Honeywell air filter or any others in this range, make sure to replace them as recommended because it can affect the performance of your furnace.

Panel vs. pleated filters
Most of the panel filters are considered washable and reusable. However, they do not completely wash away particles and could restrict air flow which can damage your furnace. A pleated filter is basically a panel furnace filter but folded to add more surface area. Therefore, they trapped particulate matter much better.

High efficiency pleated filters contain electrostatic charges that can trap small particles and allergens such as pollen, dust, mold, and pet dander that contain 99 percent of your indoor air. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are a breed extension to capture sub-micron particles with a higher efficiency. Whatever kind you use make sure to replace them as recommended by the manufacturer.

Visit www.yourfilterconnection.com for all your filter needs.