Everything you need to know about air filters for your Trenton, IL HVAC system
What kind of air conditioning filter do you use with your heating and a/c systems? Do you buy the cheapest product on the market or the most expensive, in the hope of getting the best performance?
Both answers are wrong, and often, the most expensive answer is worse than getting a cheaper product. To understand why that fact may be true for some a/c units – and to figure out more specific choices for your situation – here are a few details to help you make a better choice the next time you shop for a filter.
Filter choice can change airflow
Heating and air conditioning systems use a steady volume of air. The air must be moving fast enough and at a high enough volume to be conditioned to a specific temperature and then distributed throughout the ventilation system.
There is a bit of room for negotiation when it comes to airflow, but not much. For the most part, any mass-market filter can be added to a ventilation system and work at a passable level, but there will always be some drawbacks.
The filter needs to be of an appropriate size to handle at least dust particles, which means that you can’t just make your own random filter shapes and expect adequate performance. Without knowing the right size and shape of the pores or openings, you could be letting in a lot of dust while still wasting air volume.
When the air is restricted, the system needs to work harder to produce the same amount of treated air. This means that households that unnecessarily install expensive, restrictive filters may be wasting money on the filter and their electrical bill.
The wear and tear is an issue as well. Air conditioning maintenance can become more expensive as wear and tear from an over-tasked air conditioning system increases, so get an air conditioning tune-up scheduled to figure out which changes may be necessary.
Choosing filter by type
If your household needs a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filter, then it can’t be helped. If a household just buys a filter because it sounds high-tech or strong, there’s a lot of waste going on that could be wearing down the system faster than necessary.
To understand which types of filters are necessary for your building, you need a confirmed risk.
Your area may have higher concentrations of metals and smoke from car pollution, and there is a specific mesh shape for that. If your building has people who are allergic to pollen and a different building with people who are allergic to animals, there are two different mesh shapes that may either not protect enough or will cause the system to work too hard.
There are multiple HEPA products on the market that affect air quality and energy efficiency in different ways. Buildings that need HEPA filters often have multiple risks that need to be mitigated, along with sensitive breathing issues.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals can help you figure out your local air hazards, or find something that matches up with a health professional’s recommendations. Speak with an air filter expert at Baer Heating and Cooling in Trenton, IL to get assistance tailored to your home or business.
