4 Facts about Air Filters Every Homeowner Needs to Know

1. A good air filter can help you reduce your utility bill. Your HVAC system needs a good air filter to improve energy efficiency – and can make your home a more comfortable place to be, whether you suffer from allergies or just want to reduce dust in your home.

2. The amount of time between changing your air filter varies depending on household occupancy, pets, and medical issues like asthma or respiratory problems. A single person home without pets should change the filter every 3 to 6 months, and a regular home with no pets should be changed every 3 months. If you have one pet you should change the air filter every two months, with two or more pets you should change the filter every 30-45 days. Have trouble remembering to change the filter? Set an alert on your phone to remind you when you should next change it out!

3. Do you know what a MERV rating is? It stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, and it rates your filters on their efficiency. The higher the number, the more efficient the filter. Ranging from 1-20, most homes without special needs occupants or multiple pets fall into the 5-8 range. You don’t need a 20 to be in good shape though. Most hospitals and smoking bars operate in the 13-16 range, so the 9-12 range will give you superior performance and improved air quality. Be warned though: the higher the MERV rating, he higher the chances that you will experience reduced air flow, and the more important it is to make sure they are changed on time.

4. There are several types of air filters ranging from synthetic mechanical filters, the most common type and likely what is in your home now all the way to HEPA filters for help with asthma and respiratory problems. If you need to focus on removing smoke or gas, activated carbon filters can do the trick, and people concerned about VOC’s can uses photocatalytic oxidation filters. For reducing dust particles, ozone or ion filters work best.

No Matter what air filter you choose, JC Welton Property Management is always on call to take care of your property needs so you can have a clean, comfortable home.