Find out which filters protect your furnace from wear and tear, and which ones remove allergens like pet dander, dust mites and smoke from your air.
How to Choose An Air Filter
Ace's home expert, Lou Manfredini, gives the run down of the good, better and best in furnace filters for your home.
Know The MERV Rating
When picking out an air filter, make sure you look at the MERV rating. An air filter's minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating measures how effectively the filter stops dust and other contaminants from passing through the filter and into your homes system. Filters with higher MERV ratings trap small particles more effectively than filters with lower MERV ratings.
Good Filters
For the most part, fiberglass air filters are safe to use. However, the lack of of the fiberglass option having a pleated design lessens the liklihood of it filtering out contaminants that can travel through the system like pollen, pet dander, and bacteria.
Better Filters
The next option in filters offers the pleated design, but a lower MERV rating does not offer a solid filtration of particulates that may travel through the filter. Filters in this price range outperform fiberglass, washable and non-electrostatic 3-month pleated 1 inch filters. They need to be changed frequently.
Best Filters
The very best filters have a higher MERV rating, really offering superior protection in your home. This filters will help capture unwanted particles from your household air, contributing to a cleaner, fresher home environment. By proactively capturing dust, bacteria, viruses and allergens, these high performance filters help improve your home’s air quality.
Always follow manufacturer's instructions before using any product.
