What Is a HEPA Furnace Filter and What Are Its Advantages?

Don’t take this the unsuitable method, however the inside your own home might be filthy.

Not the flooring or the furnishings; it’s the air.

If in case you have soiled air ducts, and in the event you don’t have a superior air filtration system already put in, you’re inhaling mud, mildew spores, micro organism, pet dander, and particulates that may set off bronchial asthma or worse.

It’s not your fault. Air is difficult to scrub.

For many individuals, the dangers to well being could also be higher attributable to publicity to air air pollution indoors than open air. Scientific proof has concluded that indoor air may be extra polluted than outside air — even in probably the most polluted cities. Until you could have a job that retains you outdoors, folks spend roughly 90% % of their time indoors.

As well as, individuals who get uncovered to unhealthy air for the longest intervals of time are sometimes these most vulnerable to its ailing results. Such teams embody the aged and the chronically ailing, particularly these affected by respiratory or heart problems.

Soiled air is unhealthy, however that’s not its solely drawback.

Soiled HVAC Filters

If in case you have a grimy one-inch filter working at the side of your HVAC, it will not be cleansing the air correctly. Soiled air can get by means of your filter, the place it then travels by means of the whole lot of the furnace, sticking to the coils making them work more durable. Which makes the unit work more durable, which is costing you cash.

There’s a great motive to maintain the coil clear. The coil usually sits on the highest or backside of the furnace. If the coil is soiled, that grime will coat the remainder of the HVAC. The return air has to undergo your furnace earlier than it will get to the coil.

If a great filter retains your coil clear, it’s holding your furnace clear. The system will last more and require much less upkeep. If the system will get corroded, the fan isn’t going to spin as quick.  Ninety % of the time, a grimy filter is the basis explanation for some kind of harm to the equipment.

The filter is shortening the lifetime of your HVAC, which isn’t any small funding.

That’s the dangerous information. The excellent news is that you are able to do one thing about it.

Placing a HEPA filter into your HVAC system is a good begin.

With our expertise with installations and repair calls, we’ve seen firsthand how a grimy filter wears and tears on HVAC methods. We’ve additionally seen how efficient a great high quality filter may be.

HEPA Filters Can Remedy A number of Issues

HEPA filters, which stands for Excessive Effectivity Particulate Air (filter), are utilized in hospitals and vacuum cleaners. Fashionable airliners use HEPA filters to scale back the unfold of airborne pathogens in recirculated air.

Don’t be fooled. Merchandise which are marketed to be “HEPA-type,” “HEPA-like,” “HEPA-style” or “99% HEPA” don’t fulfill the HEPA customary.

Filters assembly the HEPA customary should fulfill sure ranges of effectivity. Frequent requirements require {that a} HEPA air filter should take away from the air that passes by means of 99.97% (as measured by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the U.S. Division of Power) of particles whose diameter is the same as 0.3 microns.

How massive is a micron? 1 micron (1μ) = 1/1000 mm. For comparability, a median human hair has a diameter of 100 microns. Most people can’t see something smaller than 40 microns with the unaided eye.

HEPA filters can seize pollen, grime, mud, moisture, micro organism, and even some viruses, together with COVID-19.

The HEPA filter is created from fiberglass or filter paper and is shaped with mini folds to extend the filter floor.

Figuring out the varieties of air filters obtainable to you is step one in understanding why a selected one is perhaps value investing in. We talk about the assorted varieties under, in addition to the professionals and cons related to every.

Very first thing it is advisable know is that you simply’ll typically see a MERV Ranking, or Minimal Effectivity Reporting Worth, assigned to filters. The rating is predicated on how effectively they catch particles of various sizes. Increased is mostly higher and can catch extra and smaller particles.

One-Inch, Fiberglass Filters

These characterize the most affordable possibility for airflow filtration in an HVAC system. They’re created from fiberglass. The professionals of those filters are apparent: They’re the most affordable possibility.

However they’re the least environment friendly, typically by a large margin over different choices. The cardboard backing reduces airflow.

Pleated Air Filters

A step up from fundamental filters are “pleated” filters, that are usually no thicker than one inch however are denser. They are often created from fiberglass or 100% artificial media. These usually vary from 6-9 MERV score. Whereas they’ll catch extra particulates, the density of the fabric inside a one-inch house creates airflow issues for all the HVAC system.

Even once they’re model new, they’ll typically trigger methods to should work a lot more durable to maneuver air correctly all through your ductwork. This, in flip, ends in extra put on and tear on gear.

At Fireplace & Ice, whether or not it’s a furnace set up or a full system, the bundle will embody the Aprilaire Clear Air Filtration, which has a 4-inch HEPA filter. These vary from MERV 11-16.

These have 25 toes of floor space, so as an alternative of simply that 16X25 inch filter, you’re going to have 25 sq. toes, and you’ll catch much more soiled air in your home. It has a 10-year clear coil assure, supplied you’re changing it as beneficial. It’s 85-90% extra environment friendly than one-inch filters.

Do HEPA Filters Work?

Extra particles are caught with HEPA filters, together with:

• Pollen
• Mould spores
• Micro organism
• Pet dander
• Mud

The Aprilaire permits extra air and catches extra junk as a result of it has extra floor space. As a result of it stays cleaner longer, it additionally lets extra air in. The heating/cooling system is extra environment friendly and can last more.

Drawbacks of utilizing HEPA Filters 

Increased price. These professionals/cons shall be true throughout the value spectrum, however I additionally wish to take a look at the professionals and cons inside completely different filter varieties.

A few of these have a carbon insert (which is rated MERV 13), which is efficient at neutralizing cooking odors, pet odors, and comparable smells.

You’ll be able to even go as excessive because the filter rated at MERV 16, which is specifically designed for bronchial asthma and allergy victims. It’s the best possibility for eradicating cigarette smoke in addition to viruses.

HVAC Filters Substitute

An ordinary MERV 11 or MERV 13 must be modified annually, whereas a MERV 13 with the carbon insert and the MERV 16 will possible should be changed twice a yr.

What I like to recommend for the once-a-year filters is to tug it out each six months and see what it appears to be like like. Simply because we will say it lasts for 12 months, in the event you by no means clear your ducts, and you’ve got canines, it’s going to get soiled actual quick.

The following yr, because it begins to get among the present mud and such out of the ductwork, it might final a yr. However within the first yr, greater than possible, you ought to be at the very least it after 6 months.

So once we speak about our “We do it proper or we don’t do it” philosophy, we wish to be sure that we’ve not solely the client’s consolation issues in thoughts but additionally if we’re about to place in an excellent system put in correctly, we’ve one drawback. We will do our job correctly, I can do my job correctly; the client has to exchange the filter when it’s beneficial.

After we say a system will final 15-20 years, there’s the idea that they are going to change their filters. A one-inch filter must be modified each one to 2 months; most individuals received’t do this.

In the event that they’re not going to vary their filter, I do not care how good the set up is, it’s not going to do what it’s presupposed to do. But when we set up one which must be changed annually, they’re extra possible to do this.

Reme Halo Air Air purifier

The filter isn’t going to kill all the things. However we will complement a HEPA filter with a Reme Halo Air Air purifier.

The Halo works in a few alternative ways. The primary is UV gentle. It additionally has a sibling model that makes use of LED gentle, however the precept is identical.

The second factor it does is launch charged particles into your own home that bond with particulates in your air, neutralizing them.

This has a number of well being advantages:

• It bonds with particles that trigger odors.
• The bonded particles are extra simply caught in your system’s filtration. This implies much less mud, grime, and dirt all through the house.
• It has been confirmed to neutralize many viruses, together with MRSA, Listeria, Norwalk, chicken flu, and tuberculosis.

The Reme Halo Air Air purifier has been extensively examined on the novel coronavirus and located to be 99.9% efficient at neutralizing it. We’ve been putting in this product for years, which already neutralizes many widespread flu viruses and different ailments.

The associated fee for gear and set up is $999. For a lot of households with yearly flu issues, or those that are aged or immunocompromised, this can be a steal, as a result of it’s proactive safety towards one thing that places your loved ones at risk and wrecks your total well being.

What Filters Gained’t Do

Even the most effective filter won’t forestall mildew progress, nor will it rid your home of mildew. To completely take away the supply of moldy odors, it’s essential to take away the mildew itself with a cleanser. Additionally, you will must remove the sources of moisture that allowed it to develop.

Subsequent Steps:

In any case, it’s a query of what you need or want to your house and household, and what you’re prepared to pay to get the best return in your funding. The upper-end merchandise aren’t simply empty cash. There are tangible advantages related to them, as we’ve mentioned.

Like all HVAC choice, a HEPA filter is a big funding. We notice that it received’t work for each price range or family. However we wouldn’t proceed to supply it if we didn’t assume it was value the price for any home-owner involved about their well being and security.

So in the event you’re in Central Ohio and are prepared to put in yours, and even simply to have a dialog about the advantages of a Reme Halo, give us a name or plug in your zip code under to get began. We’re wanting ahead to serving to you keep secure.