Is it possible to install air filters in houses?

Advantage of Installing Air Filters in Houses Advice, MERV rating system Tips

Is It Possible to Install Air Filters in All Houses?

4 August, 2020

Is It Possible to Install Air Filters in All Houses?

If your home has an HVAC air system or generally an air system that pumps airflow through the ducts, then it is more than likely that it has air filters. Filters are necessary for an air system to keep the airflow it pumps in clean and clear of harmful incoming airborne particles. The air systems cannot tell i air is dirty or not, so it is up to the air filters to make sure that you can breathe more comfortably inside of your own home. If you hear air coming in through the ducts in your home, you can assume that air traveled through a filter first.

How Filters Work

The air filters in your home consists of a few materials like cloth, paper, and fiberglass spun together to create a tight mesh weaving. This weaving is capable of allowing air to flow through while trapping harmful particles. The particles captured vary though based on the filter’s effectiveness. This effectiveness can be seen by the measured ranking of the air filter on the MERV rating system. The system tells you how small the particles the filter can capture are base don the tightness of the weave. Higher rated air filters can capture particles as small as smoke and viruses.

However, home HVAC and similar air systems are not usually capable of effectively using higher rated MERV rated filters. Those are usually reserved for building switch industrial-grade air systems. A regular home’s systems will have trouble pushing airflow through the tighter mesh weave which may lead system strain and potential damage. You will want a filter with a more balanced rating so that air can pass through without much issue while still being cleaned. Higher MERV rated air filters also have the problem of becoming dirtier at a faster rate. Meaning they need to be replaced more often.

Air Filter Replacement

The air filters in a system will grow dirtier over time and less effective they go from cluttered to clogged and incapable of processing incoming airflow. The dirtier a filter is, the harder it is for the system to push air through, which calls for new filters to take their place.

Filter replacement is easy, only needing you to pull out the old one and place the new one in with the printed arrow pointed the right way. The old filter can even tell you the required length, width, and thickness of the next filter you will need to replace it. When you change your filter, the real issue is making sure you do so consistently to avoid some serious issues.

Is It Possible to Install Air Filters in All Houses Summary

Clogged filters do block airflow, which additionally leads to the system using more and more energy to push air through. This works both ways too since air particles coming from inside a home are trapped within rooms.

This leads to particles like smoke, dust, and dander recirculating throughout a room and landing wherever they want. Which can lead to an unhealthy layer of dust and grime covering the open areas of a room. You will want to avoid this by making sure you consistently replace old filters and installing the right ones as you do.

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