Air Purifiers: Everything You Need To Know But were Afraid to AskAir Quality, Allergy Topics, Articles, Information Guides | Copyright © 2016 Allergy Consumer Review.7 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Air Filter It’s every homeowner’s goal to maintain a comfortable living space without racking up ridiculous utility bills. One effective way to improve home comfort and energy efficiency is to give your HVAC air filter the attention it deserves. Use these four tips for getting the most out of your air filter and see what a difference it can make. Learn what type of filter you need Filters earn a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) based on how efficientChoose a filter that fits your needs based on these characteristics: MERV 1-4: A filter in this range provides minimal filtration. you want a cheap filter that keeps dust off the equipment but does little to improve indoor air quality. MERV 5-8: This is the ideal range for most homes.

It’s great at capturing smaller particles that aggravate allergies without restricting airflow. MERV 9-12: If you have severe allergies or multiple pets, this higher efficiency could help you breathe easier. You might need an HVAC contactor to boost the blower motor and counteract the airflow restriction such a tight weave creates. MERV 13-16: This level of efficiency is usually reserved for hospitals, superior commercial applications and smoking lounges. It’s rare you’ll need such high filtration capabilities in your home. MERV 17-20: A filter in this range is called a High Efficiency Particulate AbsorptionIt’s most often used in vacuum cleaners, not HVAC systems. Know your household’s requirements The rule of thumb for a standard MERV 1 to 8 air filter is to replace it every 30 to 90 days. This is quite a range, however. for specifically pinpointing how often you should change the air filter: Vacation home or single occupant without pets or allergies: Change the filter every 3 to 6 months.

“Average” suburban home without pets: Change the filter every 90 days. One dog or cat lives in the home: Change the filter every 60 days. Two or more dogs or cats live in the home: Change the filter every 30 to 45 days. Someone in your home has allergies or other respiratory problems: Change the filter every 30 to 45 days. Other factors such as nearby construction or higher air pollution levels may require more frequent filter changes as well. When in doubt, check the filter monthly and change it when it appears dirty. Remind yourself to change the filter You’re thinking about your HVAC filter at this moment, but how will you remember how much time has passed since you last replaced it once a few weeks go by? You have a number of options for reminding yourself to change the air filter, including the following: Write the date you changed it on the edge of the filter. Write the approximate date to change the filter on the calendar.

Set automatic reminders on your phone. Sign up for email alerts from your HVAC contractor. Make buying replacements easy It’s a pain to visit the home improvement store every month justwhat is the cost of a new hvac unit to buy a new filter. ac units for freePlus, if you don’t have replacement filtershow much do window ac units cost to run on hand, it’s easy to procrastinate doing the task. on yourself with these tips: Order filters from a service that mails them to your home every 30, 60, 90 or 120 days. Stock up on a year’s supply of filters. Buy filters by the box for a lower per-filter cost. With these four tips for getting the most out of your air filter, you can

maximize comfort and energy efficiency all year long. To learn more, please contact Aire Serv® today. Ready to breathe easier?How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality A guide to getting the most out of the machines that make your home comfortable: air conditioners, air filters, and humidifiers. Share your take on this idea!Upload your photo here. How clean and comfortable is the air inside your home? Is it too dry? You spend the majority of your life indoors, so it's worth it to pay attention to the quality of air in your home, notes Jay Portnoy, MD, chief of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. There are so many machines available today for the sole purpose of helping us breathe easier indoors. But simply having an air filter doesn't mean your home air quality is perfect. Mold, dust, and other allergens can accumulate in your air conditioner, humidifier, and air filter to make the air you're breathing more polluted than ever.

Here's what you need to know to keep these devices clean, efficient, and effective. (Note: In desert regions, mold is not an issue because of the already-low humidity.) What they do: As anyone who lives in a hot-weather climate knows, air-conditioning is a must-have summertime comfort. But did you know that air conditioners do double-duty by cooling the air and also removing moisture so you feel less hot and sticky?How to use them effectively: To cool down the entire house, central air-conditioning is usually the most effective way to go. Be aware, though, that a central air conditioner that's too powerful for the size of the house will cool the air down quickly, but won't have a chance to remove moisture from the air adequately if that's a concern. If you just want to cool a single room, a less-expensive option is a window-mounted air conditioner (probably too expensive too operate, though, in desert regions).Safety alert: Because water condenses on an air conditioner's cooling coils, they can be a potential source of mold, Dr. Portnoy notes.

Upkeep tips: Whether you have central air-conditioning or a window unit, air conditioners should be serviced at the beginning of each season by a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning professional who can clean the coils and make sure they're not contaminated. What they do: Air filters remove irritants like mold spores, pet dander, candle and cigarette soot, and even skin cells from the air, making it easier to breathe, especially for people who have allergies. How to use them effectively: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters generally cost more than ionic filters, but HEPA filters are more efficient at removing all of the airborne particles, says Dr. Portnoy. The best way to filter air for the whole house is with a filter that's placed in the furnace, he says. (In desert regions, the filter may be attached to the air conditioner as part of an electric heat pump.) Be sure to leave the system's fan running even if the heat is not on to allow the filter to do its job.

Safety alert: "Some air filters produce ozone," Dr. Portnoy says. "The ozone oxidizes the chemicals that produce smells and makes the air smell fresh, but doesn't remove them." Because ozone itself can be an irritant, he recommends steering clear of ozone-producing devices (most are labeled on the package). Upkeep tips: Over time, HEPA filters clog up and need replacing. How often you need to change them will depend on how contaminated the air is. Electrostatic filters should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's directions (some have parts that can be hosed off or wiped down, while others use disposable filters). Additional advice: Don't bet on your air filter to protect you from mold allergens. "Where there's water, there's going to be mold," Dr. Portnoy says. The best remedy is to get rid of the source of the mold (such as a leak or damaged drywall) and use a diluted bleach solution to remove the mold spores. What they do: Does walking on your carpet give you an electric shock?

Those sparks are an indicator that the humidity level in your home is too low. A humidifier can counteract this by adding moisture to the air. How to use them effectively: Most people rely on stand-alone humidifiers to add moisture in individual rooms, which is fine if you can't attach a unit to the furnace. However, according to Dr. Portnoy, the most effective way to humidify the whole house is usually with an evaporative model that can be placed in your central furnace. To give the humidifier enough time to work effectively, you may need to leave the fan running even when the heat is off. Safety alert: Stand-alone cool-mist humidifiers "can shoot bacteria and mold into the air," Dr. Portnoy says. Be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions for cleaning. Hot humidifiers, or vaporizers, avoid this problem, but can be a scalding risk around toddlers, who may accidentally tip them over. Upkeep tips: A diluted bleach solution is the best way to clean cool-mist and cool-evaporative humidifiers.