A Homeowner’s Guide to Buying the Right Air Filters

Clean air is something that you should strive for in your home. After all, the cleaner the air, the less likely you are to get sick. In addition to keeping your HVAC running well, you want the air coming through to be healthy to breathe. To this end, buying the right air filters for your system is crucial. Making a mistake here could mean you’re throwing away money on products that don’t work and might spread more dirt than they trap.

Photo of an air filter for furnace

Check for Particle Capacity

Have you ever stopped and thought about what’s actually in the air around you? It’s easy to think the air is clean because you can’t see anything, but in reality, you’re surrounded by potentially harmful particles. We’re talking about stuff like mold spores and pollen, as well as dust, lint, and other debris.

Typically speaking, such pollutants are more common indoors than outdoors, which is why you want air filters that are effective at trapping them. Something with a high MERV – Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value – rating will be able to trap more particles, although it’ll also require your furnace or HVAC to increase its airflow. You should try to find a happy medium between these two factors.

Shop Around

You might think that when it comes to buying the right air filters, you have to purchase them directly from the manufacturer of your brand of HVAC or furnace. However, that’s not the case. Services like FilterBuy allow you to purchase all kinds of filters, no matter the brand.

The benefit of this is that you get to choose from over 600 different filter sizes that ship out in 24 hours and can be purchased via a subscription service. What’s more, they offer high-quality MERV 11 air filters which boast a 95% success rate of trapping potentially harmful airborne particles, making your air easier to breathe. If that’s something you value in your home, then you should definitely try MERV 11 filters as they can increase indoor air quality.

Effective Insulation

While it may be great to have a system in your house that keeps the air clean, these devices aren’t always the quietest thing around. You shouldn’t have to compromise on your peace and quiet just to get cleaner air, which is why it’s worth considering an air filter that’s insulated.

These filters are capable of blocking out most sound coming from your HVAC or furnace, meaning it’ll operate a lot quieter. Plus, insulated filters are also effective at reducing the amount of heat lost or gained, which can definitely come in handy.

Odor Elimination

Air filters can do more than just trap particles that can be harmful to your body. They’re also capable of eliminating odors in a similar manner, keeping your house smelling fresher for longer.

If you find smells to be a constant issue in your home, or you just want an air filter that’s multi-purpose, make sure you look for one that has a carbon filter or canister. The carbon-rich materials contained in this will trap odors before they can reach you. Given that Americans reportedly spend 87% of their life indoors, living somewhere free from polluted air and unpleasant smells seems like a fairly essential requirement.

With the right air filter, your home will be cleaner and fresher than ever. You just need to ensure that you keep these factors in mind before you make your purchase.