Heating or Cooling System Filters For Air Purification
Posted by Jody Raines on Tue, Mar 22, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Heating and Air cooling systems are important for circulating and conditioning the air in your home. Regardless of whether you are warming the air or cooling the air, an air filter is important to keep clean and replace as needed. The air is designed to trap dirt, dust,
dust mites and other particles from the air in your home.
Especially for your family members, you want to be sure that the air in your home is filtered and clean.
There are different styles of filters on the market, and each of these filter types are also rated for their "efficiency". The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value or 'MERV' number is the relative score of how efficient the filter is. The higher the MERV, the greater the filter is at capturing particles and pollutants.
There are three main types of filters:
HEPA filters are High Efficiency Particulate Air filters and these are able to trap sub-micron level particles. HEPA filters capture particles equivalent to 1/300th the diameter of a human hair, making them among the most efficient and are typically most expensive of the filters. HEPA filters are used in environments where people have allergies and clean air is a requirement. Hopitals, industrial clean rooms are typical users of HEPA filters.
If you desire a less expensive alternative that still has great filtering capabilities, the pleated filters offer a range of MERV that is higher than flat filters. The pleats in the filter create additional surface area which is important for improving the particles. Dirt, dust, pet hair and dander that is floating through the air is collected on the facing surface of the filter. Features that some of the pleated filters offer include fragrance or electrostatic charges. Genreally, pleated filters are high efficiency and low cost.
Panel filters are a 1-inch thick layer of fiberglass used to keep dust from accumulating near the heating unit, cooling coil and the fan. Panel filters capture large particles of dirt or dust but they are not as efficient at eliminating contaminants as either HEPA filters or pleated panel filters. For economy, panel furnace filters are a basic filtering system. 
To learn more about filters for your heating, ventilation and cooling system, ask the experts at Columbia NW. Our goal is to help you find the most economical and efficient system to match your budget as well as to provide you with years of service.
Columbia NW Heating Inc. specializes in efficiently upgrading or repairing air conditioning, heating, gas furnaces, heat pump, ductless heat pumps, tankless water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, electric furnaces, air filtration systems, oil furnaces, gas fireplaces and inserts, and all systems related to the comfort of your home or office in Portland and surrounding areas.