Indoor air quality refer to the cleanliness of the air inside a building. Indoor air quality becomes of interest to individuals who notice that there is an increase in the amount of dust in the indoor environment, or an increase in individuals who are coughing indoors. One of the ways to improve indoor air quality is to select the correct HVAC filter for the HVAC system that is installed in the building.
In order to make such a selection, however, it is first necesary to understand how HVAC filters works. One of the main methods of categorizing HVAC filters are according to the MERV rating of the filters. MERV ratings range from 1 to 20.
How to Choose the Right HVAC Filter
HVAC filters with low MERV ratings will remove large particle from the air, such as pollen and carpet fibers. However, low MERV ratings do not indicate that the HVAC filter will remove small particles from the indoor air. HVAC filters that have high MERV ratings will remove small particles from the air, such as smoke particles, bacteria, and viruses.
Because these small particles can enter deep into the lungs of individuals who inhale them, high MERV ratings are considered more beneficial to indoor air quality then are low MERV ratings. Both scales allow for HVAC filters to be compared with one another, as well as to understand the capabilities of each type of HVAC filter. Many residential HVAC systems is manufactured to use HVAC filters with MERV ratings between 8 and 11.
In instances in which individuals would like to improve the indoor air quality of their home, however, HVAC filters with MERV ratings of 13 is available for purchase. HVAC filters with MERV ratings of 13 are design to remove small particles, such as pet dander and smoke particles, from indoor air. The main problem with using HVAC filters of this type, however, is that the filters are too dense to allow for the air to properly move through the HVAC system.
If the air is restricted within the HVAC system, the HVAC system may work harder to circulate the air within the building, and the coils of the HVAC system may even become frozen with chilled air. Thus, you should match the MERV ratings of the HVAC filter to the capabilities of the HVAC system in order to ensure that the HVAC system continues to function correct. The size of the particles that are to be removed from indoor air is one of the factor that will determine the type of HVAC filter that is appropriate for a building.
HVAC filters of different strengths remove particles of different sizes. For instance, pollen contains particles that are much larger in size than smoke, bacteria, and viruses. MERV 13 HVAC filters will remove many small particles from indoor air, but HEPA filters will remove 99.97 percent of the smallest particles present in the indoor air.
Because HEPA filters are so dense, they are typically only use in stand-alone air purifiers. Stand-alone air purifiers are purchased for these types of task because the HVAC system of a building is typically not capable of pushing the amount of air necessary to pass through a HEPA filter. The other factor that will influence the decision of which type of HVAC filter should be used within a building is the length of time that the HVAC filter should be replaced.
HVAC filters come in different types and different cleanliness rating. For instance, fiberglass HVAC filters may need to be replaced more frequent than other types of HVAC filters because the fiberglass filter cannot hold as much dust as other types of filters. Pleated HVAC filters, in contrast, are able to hold more dust before their pleated structure begins to restrict the movement of air within the HVAC system.
HVAC filters should be replaced whenever the HVAC filter appear to be gray or dirty with dust. In addition to visual indicators, however, there are other factors that must be consider, as well. For instance, if a building has many pets or if there is construction occurring in the building, the HVAC filter will become dirty more frequently.
Thus, those factors will impact the HVAC filter replacement schedule. Overall, the best way to select an HVAC filter for a building is to ensure that the HVAC filter is both matched to the HVAC system of the buildings, as well as to the type of particles that are to be removed from the indoor air. By ensuring that the HVAC filter matches the HVAC system, the HVAC system will continue to function correctly.
By ensuring that the HVAC filter includes the type of particles that are to be removed from indoor air, indoor air quality will improve. By improving indoor air quality, there will be less dust in individuals homes. Thus, by improving indoor air quality, there will be fewer allergy symptom for those individuals.