4 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Furnace Filter
Ready to buy a new furnace filter? Great!
Want to make sure you make the perfect purchase? Read on!
1. Measure twice; buy once
There’s an old saying in the carpentry world – “measure twice; cut once”. However, it’s a good idea to adapt a variation of it here!
The wrong-sized furnace filter can be an absolute nightmare for the air you breathe. Cutting it simply isn’t an option, and neither is trying to squeeze it in and make it fit. And, if your furnace filter is even a fraction of an inch too small, you’ll wind up letting all kinds of extra dust and grime invade your lungs!
Unfortunately, that may limit your selection of manufacturers if you have an oddly-shaped vent. Before you start shopping around, you’ll have to know what your exact dimensions are. Otherwise, you could end up wasting your time.
2. Look for the bigger brands
Just like anything else, certain filters are head and shoulders above the rest. Luckily, unlike cars, blue jeans, and handbags, you won’t have to pay a ton of extra money to get your hands on a name-brand furnace filter!
But which name-brands are the good ones?
There are a few to choose from, but you can’t go wrong with Filtrete. Manufactured by 3M, Filtrete filters are a favorite among allergy sufferers because they are specially-designed to eliminate pollen, mold spores, and dust mites from the air around you.
You also can’t go wrong with a Honeywell furnace filter. Designed to last up to a year, each Honeywell furnace filter is 60 times more effective than the traditional one-inch fiberglass filter. Honeywell itself has been honored numerous times for its innovation.
Luckily, both of these big name filters come in a variety of sizes, so you can count on them to work in a number of furnaces.
3. Install it carefully
Even if your particular furnace filter is shaped like a square, it is possibly to install it incorrectly! Each filter comes with a specific front and back, so read the instructions carefully. If you don’t install it properly, you won’t wind up collecting nearly as much dirt and dust as you should. In fact, you may not wind up collecting any particles at all!
4 Answers You Need About Your Home Air Filter
Breathe easier by getting the answers to these 4 home air filter questions.
As long as you’ve got a good one, your home air filter is something you probably don’t give a whole lot of thought to.
However, you need to.
By learning the answers to these 4 questions, you’ll find out exactly how your filter needs to be treated, so that it can treat you in the best way possible!
1. “How often do I need to replace it?”
Every home air filter is different, so see what your specific manufacturer recommends.
However, you can’t go solely by what the packaging says. If you have a pet running around, man’s best friend will kick up enough dust and dander to warrant changing your heater filters on a more regular basis. Or, if you have a medical condition – like asthma or severe allergies – you may need to change your furnace filters more frequently.
In those cases, you’ll have to rely on your best judgment! If you start sneezing more or if you’re seeing more dust floating around, then you’ll know it’s time for a change.
2. “What’s that little number on my home air filter?”
That’s the MERV rating – short for “Minimum Efficiency Rating Value”. All furnace filters come with one, and it’s the way filter manufacturers rank how good each filter is at keeping fine particles out of the air. The higher your MERV rating is, the fewer fine particles you should see floating around!
Electric Air Purifiers – How Do They Work?
An electric air purifier is a convenient way to economically clean the air in your home. You’ll want to put the electric air purifier in the area that you and your family spend the most time. Different models cover different amounts of square footage so it is important to do the research and to find the model that will work best for you.
Electric air purifiers are known to help rid the air of allergens such as dust, dust mites, pollen and animal dander. As well certain models can also help with mold, mildew, bacteria, viruses, gases and smelly odors. They are an excellent investment for anyone suffering from asthma or any type of breathing problem. They have also been known to help with better sleep and a greater feeling of overall well being. They are highly economical and use less electricity than a 100-watt light bulb.
There are a few different technologies that are used in electric air purifiers:
Hepa Air Filters – successfully removes allergens from the air such as dust, dust mites, pollen, animal dander, mold, and other bacteria
