Best Air Filter for Your Home

Whether your family has allergies or asthma concerns, or you just aren’t a fan of higher electric bills, it’s a good idea to find the right air filter for your HVAC system. Air filters are an often-overlooked (or even ignored) component of your furnace or air conditioner, but they improve both the HVAC system performance and the household quality of life.

So what do you need to know to choose the best air filter for home or even office use? We put together this guide to help you find the right filter for your home.

What Is an Air Filter?

The household HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system is entirely reliant on airflow, or ventilation, in order to heat or cool the house. It uses the home’s air supply to adjust the overall temperature, which means that anything in the air of the home is pulled into the working parts of the HVAC system without the filter to stop it. This collection of dust particles, pet hair and dander, germs, and bacteria is all then redistributed into the home’s ventilation system, or it is trapped in the inner workings of the AC or furnace where it can block air flow over time and create expensive problems. 

A basic home air filter is layers of material within a cardboard, plastic, or metal frame that allows it to trap dust, dirt, hair, bacteria, and other particles. Even with the best air filter for home use, the contaminants build up over time to help capture more, smaller particles, and must be changed regularly to avoid the filter blocking air flow.

The most common air filter materials can include:

• Cotton
• Fiberglass
• Foam
• Polyester

The air filter is designed to block air particulates before they get into the system, without blocking the airflow needed to operate the home’s ventilation system correctly. Because of this, it’s important to know if the HVAC system is compatible with the different air filter types you choose, as some filters may be too effective and dense to provide the necessary airflow. 

Most filters are easily installed in front of the air intake for the HVAC unit. Pay attention to the airflow direction when installing a filter, as flipping it upside down or backwards may cause the filter to block air rather than help clean it. Similarly, pay attention to home air filter sizes because the air pulled into the system has to move through the filter in order to be effective, which requires the filter cover the intake appropriately. 

Do You Need an Air Filter?

The short answer is that yes, your home needs an air filter. Without an air filter, air conditioners or the furnace can pull anything on the air into the internal workings of the system. This can interrupt airflow as well as allow harmful particles into the HVAC unit, both of which can negatively impact performance or lead to dangerous malfunctions. 

The air filter also helps ensure that the air that reaches the home’s ventilation system is cleaner, which makes the air you, your family, and your guests breathe cleaner and safer. It can help reduce dust buildup and guard against viruses and bacteria being spread through the vents. The best air filter for home use will be one that suits your HVAC unit’s required airflow while still blocking the level of dust and particles that exist in the home’s air.

The Best Air Filter Types for Home Use

There are multiple air filter types available to allow you to find the air filter that best suits your home environment, HVAC requirements, and your budget. It’s important to consider the home air quality when choosing an air filter, as the amount of particulate matter and debris in the air will influence the effectiveness of the filter and even how often to change the air filter in the home. For instance, a home with pets may require a higher quality filter in order to handle the extra dust and dander in the air, and the filter will need to be changed more frequently.

The primary indicator of air filter types’ effectiveness and quality is the MERV rating. The MERV rating is set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, (ASHRE) and compared against their architects and designers’ Indoor Air Quality Standards (IAQ) to ensure safety and effectiveness. MERV, or the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, ratings are the universal standard for air filter effectiveness, backed by regulated and published findings through the ASHRE. Some retail outlets have created their own ratings systems that are not measured against a product’s MERV rating or IAQ by public third parties, so make sure to look for the MERV rating when choosing a filter.

The minimum effective ratings measure both the filter’s ability to capture large and small airborne particles at a very fine scale. The ratings assign higher value to the most effective filters, ranging from as low as MERV 1 to MERV 16, with anything over an MERV 11 providing high quality filtration. Every filter type should have a MERV rating, so look for the quality that suits your home air filter sizes, HVAC airflow capacity, and budget.

Common Air Filter Types

There are a variety of air filters to best meet the demand of each individual home environment. The types of air filters HVAC systems accommodate can also vary, so it is important to choose wisely.

Many filters will be available as single-use, disposable filters. Disposable filters offer the advantage of removing the collected dust and other contaminants from the house entirely when the filter is replaced. Simply throw the filter in an outdoor garbage can and there is no chance of reintroducing any of the mess into your home.

Reusable filters allow you to save on household maintenance costs, as you can get multiple uses out of a single filter. A reusable filter requires taking the filter outside and vacuuming the filter or washing it out with a hose, so reusable filters often have a plastic or metal frame in place in order to keep the filter material from getting damaged during cleanings. The filter materials may lose shape over time with washable/reusable air filters, which can eventually impact their effectiveness. Plan on replacing reusable filters after a few washes.

Different types of filters you can choose from include:

Electrostatic Filters

Self-charging fibers create charged air that attracts the air particles and traps the dust and other smaller particles within the filter. These filters can create ozone that can be bothersome to those with respiratory problems. Keep in mind that electrostatic filters are not powered by electricity and the filter plates can be removed to be washed and reused. They trap and kill dust particulates, microbes, and even mold.

Fiberglass filters

Layers of fiberglass fibers are reinforced with thin metal grating to help support the filter against the force of the airflow and accumulation of dust over time. These are low-MERV rated disposable filters that catch larger particles and provide maximum unobstructed airflow to the HVAC unit. They are most common in rental properties because of their airflow capacity and are generally the least expensive filter option.

Ionizers and Ozone Filters

These filters introduce a charge into the air, via ions or ozone, which then react with the dust particles in the air. The dust particles become charged and can cling to the furniture or walls rather than float airborne. Ion filters and ozone filters have been known to cause discomfort and problems for people with respiratory issues.

Pleated Filters

Available with polyester or cotton fibers, pleated filters offer multiple thick fiber filter layers and can prevent 80 to 90% of larger air particles. High-MERV pleated filters can retain their efficiency up to one year when properly installed, and some may be reusable. High quality, durable pleated filters can even trap the smaller particles of airborne bacteria and viruses.

Other Air Treatment Options

Other filter types include activated carbon filters, which are known to trap odors and gases with layers of porous carbon, and UV light filters. UV light is capable of killing viruses and germs with high frequency UV light. Activated carbon and UV light filters are less effective at trapping dust and air particles and are usually found used alongside other filter types. 

The air filter in your home air conditioning system is designed to protect the HVAC unit and clean the air before it moves through the vents, but it is not the only option at work with some systems. Many newer HVAC systems offer extra ways to clean the air in your home and keep things more comfortable. Look for units with additional air purifiers for an added layer of filtering. Other options include systems with dehumidifiers to help lower the swampy, humid feel of a late summer day by running the system fan.

If your HVAC system doesn’t include these built-in air treatments, look for portable units that can be used in any room of the house. 

• Air purifiers are useful year round to help keep the house cleaner and the air fresher.
• Humidifiers are best in the winter time to combat the dry-out from the furnace and keep the family healthier. 
• Portable and table-top dehumidifiers are useful to help cool the air, as well as filter out some particles. 

All of these alternatives help even the best air filter for home use work more effectively and keep your household safer and more comfortable.

HEPA Filters

The best air filter for home use is often a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance) filter. HEPA-rated filters consistently trap particles on a very fine scale and can even act as dehumidifiers by removing moisture particles from the air that gets filtered. 

HEPA filters are higher MERV-rated filters, which can block 80% of airborne particles 50 microns or larger, and 25% of smaller particles under 10 microns. Some HEPA filters are capable of meeting standards that allow them to filter as much as 99.97% of airborne particles that are .03 microns or larger. 

It is important to know that these high efficiency filters block airflow going into the HVAC unit, so HEPA filters should only be used with air conditioners and furnaces that can accommodate the restricted airflow. These filters can cause damage to the unit otherwise, creating what is known as a pressure drop and other potential problems.

Do You Have to Change a Home Air Filter?

Even the best air filter for home use will need to be replaced regularly. There are a few reasons for this, but the most important to know is that a clean air filter keeps the air in your home cleaner and your HVAC unit operating at peak efficiency.

The air moving into the AC or furnace comes through the filter, and over time the debris collected there will become more dense. It will eventually collect more air particles that way, but it will also start to block air flow, ultimately creating a pressure drop that lowers the efficiency of the HVAC system and increases its power consumption. (This can also happen if the HVAC system isn’t strong enough to accommodate an installed HEPA filter.)

The lack of airflow caused by a dirty filter blocking air getting to the HVAC system can cause costly damage.

• Pressure drop can cause the air conditioning coil to freeze, which can prevent the refrigerant evaporation and can lead to damaging the compressor.
• Lower airflow to the furnace can cause the unit to overheat without moving the heated air out into the rest of the ventilation system, which can lead to internal damage and cracks within the unit, and can create the potential for dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.
• Due to lower air flow, the HVAC system will not work as efficiently and will make up for the problem by consuming more energy and spiking the monthly electric bill.

To avoid these dangerous problems, it is recommended that the home air filters be changed every 1 to 3 months. Some home environments may require more frequent changes, while there are a few high-MERV rated air filters that may not need to be replaced or cleaned more than once or twice a year. The best way to keep your AC or furnace working at its best is to monitor the filter and change it when it is at risk of blocking air flow.