Choose the Right Replacement Furnace Filter

furnace filterWhat kind of replacement furnace filter to buy isn't something most of us give much thought to. But you should give it some thought, because a replacement furnace filter does more than just keep your furnace clean and running efficiently. Today's replacement filters are designed with your furnace and your health in mind.

Some of the airborne substances in your home include things like dust, smoke, mold spores, pet dander, particles from outside like pollen, and even hair and skin from the people in the home. The dust that you see, for the most part, doesn't make it into your lungs. It's caught by the tiny hairs in your mucous membranes that are designed to protect you. It's the particles in the air that you can see that are small enough to get in your lungs and lodge there. And ironically, cleaning can stir up more of these particles rather than eliminate them.

But can a furnace filter really help get rid of the particles that you don't see? Even the cheapest furnace filters you can buy are covered in a mat of grime when you remove them, so obviously they're great at getting rid of visible dust. What about the tiny particles we can't see?

An electronic plate and wire replacement furnace filter is one of the most effective at catching such particles and reducing pollutants in the air. A premium filter with 1" pleats removes these particles almost as well. In testing, in which the air in a house was tested before and after the use of these filters, the particles were reduced.

When looking for a replacement furnace filter, don't be wooed by the least expensive one. A fiberglass replacement furnace filter, which is usually the least expensive because it's disposable, also doesn't block anything but dust and large particles. Everything else sails right on through. These protect your furnace, but really don't help the air quality in your house.

Electrostatic filters can save you money over time because they're washable. But this type of replacement furnace filter, charged to attract dust, doesn't do much better at filtering smaller particles than the fiberglass. They only stop about 20% of the particles, while the rest go through.

Pleated filters designed to help ease allergies work better, up to 50% better, because the pleats simply make the filter surface much bigger.

The electronic air cleaners can cost several hundred dollars, but these catch up to 94% of the particles that you don't want to be breathing in your home. It could be worth the investment for peace of mind and for your health, especially if there are frequent illnesses and allergies in your home.

Choose the best replacement furnace filter you can afford, with highest MERV rating. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The higher number (from 1 to 11 for home use) the more efficient the filter at removing particles that measure between 3 and 10 microns. A MERV 6 filter gets from about 35% to 50% of particles, while a MERV 11 replacement furnace filter catches up to 95%.

3M Office Air Cleaner OAC200

3M Office Air Cleaner OAC200

US $49.00
Sale
2 AIR PURIFIER FILTER CELL CLEANER 18 OZ

2 AIR PURIFIER FILTER CELL CLEANER 18 OZ

US $5.00
Sale
08 CHARLESTON 410FK BELOW COST WE TAKE ALL TRADES

08 CHARLESTON 410FK BELOW COST WE TAKE ALL TRADES

US $75,403.00
Sale
2010 GEORGETOWN 337DS CLASS A FULL WALL SLIDE REBATE

2010 GEORGETOWN 337DS CLASS A FULL WALL SLIDE REBATE

US $33,433.33
Sale
Clean Burn Waste Oil Used Oil Furnace

Clean Burn Waste Oil Used Oil Furnace

US $1,225.00
Sale
NEW Mcquay Geothermal Heat Pump 35 TonFCW 1042

NEW Mcquay Geothermal Heat Pump 35 TonFCW 1042

US $3,671.00
Sale
APRILAIRE MEDIA 201

APRILAIRE MEDIA 201

US $6.00
Sale
6 True Blue Pro Series Merv 7 Air Filters 20x20x2

6 True Blue Pro Series Merv 7 Air Filters 20x20x2

US $30.00
Sale
12 TrueBlue Hammock Air Filter Pads 30x62 Cut to Size

12 TrueBlue Hammock Air Filter Pads 30x62 Cut to Size

US $15.00
Sale
Wholesale Commecial Ozone Generator 7200 mg h Free SH

Wholesale Commecial Ozone Generator 7200 mg h Free SH

US $249.00
Sale
Indoor Wood Boiler Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnace Stove

Indoor Wood Boiler Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnace Stove

US $2,618.00
Sale
1986 Jamboree Fleetwood RV Great Condition NO RESERVE

1986 Jamboree Fleetwood RV Great Condition NO RESERVE

US $4,000.00
Sale
CARRIER 8 TON ROOFTOP AIR CONDITIONER AC NAT GAS HEATER

CARRIER 8 TON ROOFTOP AIR CONDITIONER AC NAT GAS HEATER

US $99.99
Sale
Large Family Size Eagle Clothes Drying Rack

Large Family Size Eagle Clothes Drying Rack

US $57.95
Sale
2 Demon Possessed Hunter Programmable Thermostats

2 Demon Possessed Hunter Programmable Thermostats

US $.99
Sale

Photo Credits: h?lf empty

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • carpet3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Home There are a wide variety of different things that you can do to improve your home. There are probably dozens of small steps that could be taken today to enrich the quality of your home. Here are three simple ways to improve your home, which can be accomplished in as......
  • house Top Five Ways To Increase the Value of Your Home If you are looking for new ways to increase the overall value of your home, there are numerous projects that you can tackle on your own. Whether you are an experienced DIY’er, or just starting out, these projects are fun and add more than just monetary value to your home.......
  • blog traffic exchangeReview of Renovating Old Houses George Nash's book, Renovating Old Houses - Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes is a wonderful resource for those of us that are living in aging homes. If you're trying to recapture your home's fading glory or you just need some tips on how to easily fix common issues in......
  • kitchen2Kitchen Remodeling Ideas Under $1000 If you've spent much time looking through magazine or home improvements stores, you might not realize that some of the best kitchen remodeling ideas are small ones. In most areas, a high-end, completely top to bottom kitchen overhaul is less likely to give you a return on your investment when......
  • ronaUsing Home Improvement Centers Effectively Home improvement centers are all over the place these days. Even if you don’t contract them to do any work at your house, chances are very good that you are going to end up purchasing at least some of your raw materials from them. Depending on where in the country......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • blog traffic exchangeShould You Use Name Brand Cartridge For Printer Should You Purchase Name Brand Cartridge For Printer  Consumers will discover that buying new, brand name, ink cartridge for printer suddenly becomes quite an expenditure.  Nonetheless, there are several alternative ways to find the equal quality standard for a much lower price.  Your major options are: name brand (OEM) color......
  • home-sweet-home-signConsumers Beware: Loan Modification Scams During the financial turmoil all over the nation, consumers still have to be worried about falling victim to the increasing amount of scams in addition to worrying about staying on track with their personal finances. Due to the increasing rate in the number of home foreclosures, many consumers are looking......
  • water-bottleReview: LivPURE Filtered Water Bottle A representative for the Fit & Fresh company sent me a LivPURE filtered water bottle a couple days ago to review. Their LivPURE bottle is a reusable container with an integrated filter which is designed to filter 75 gallons of water and make the water cleaner and better tasting compared to......
  • Keep an Eye on Your Home When You’re Away with New Surveillance Technology Some parts of the world just are not as safe as they used to be. This doesn’t mean we need to panic and take extraordinary measures to keep our families safe, but it does mean that we need to take a few extra precautions here and there to protect our......
  • Home Maintenance Tips: Spring Projects Spring is here (or almost here in our case), and its a good time to do a few things around the house to make sure that you're not paying for costly repairs down the road. According to Home-smart.org, here are a few preventative maintenance tasks you can do this month......
Online Stores If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Handy Man, Replace, furnace



Tags:

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


0 comments ↓

There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.

Leave a Comment

Email Updates