When it comes to choosing the right filter for your furnace, it's important to understand that you can't just pick any oven filter off the shelf. All ovens, even gas ovens, have filters that help maintain the oven itself and the air quality in your home. This website provides a basic conversion from MPR to MERV, which should help you if you change the brand of air filters that use different classification systems. However, because of the dense filtration material used in HEPA filters, the air pressure needed to force air through the filter is too high for an oven or air conditioner fan to withstand.
If you haven't changed the filter for a long time and you notice a lot of hair or dust around the filter opening, it's important to vacuum outside the oven and inside the filter opening before replacing it. Pleated filters are made of paper and polyester and filter out most household particles and allergens well. This is the technical language of how good an air filter is at trapping dust particles and preventing them from recirculating in your home. If members of your household smoke or have allergies or asthma, or if you have pets, look for more expensive, high-efficiency electrostatic filters, which magnetically filter and attract contaminants.
Knowing what type of air filter to buy is good, but it's useless information if you don't know where your air filter goes in the first place. Before making any changes to the air filter of an HVAC system, users should consult their HVAC manual or an HVAC professional. For those who don't know or just need a reminder, oven filters remove dust, dirt, pollen, allergens, bacteria and other air pollutants from your home air, improving indoor air quality for you and your family. Usually, there will be a cover with a handle that you can remove to access the air filter.
However, traditional air filters in the higher range of MERV ratings (12-1) approach HEPA filtration levels, with the exception of virus removal. You may think that you can insert the air filter into its slot in any orientation, but it actually needs to be placed in a specific direction. It sounds simple, but there are actually so many oven filter options that choosing the wrong one can cause more harm than good to your oven and could cause your oven to break down. All of this can lead to hundreds of dollars in repairs, not to mention the impact that dirty filters can have on your health.
A dirty filter can cause the air conditioner to stop cooling, reduce efficiency, or cause the air conditioner to freeze. So how do you make sure you're getting the right type of filter for your furnace? First off, it's important to understand what type of furnace you have and what type of filter it requires. Different types of furnaces require different types of filters; some require disposable fiberglass filters while others require pleated filters or electrostatic filters. Once you know what type of furnace you have and what type of filter it requires, you can then start looking for a compatible replacement. When shopping for a new furnace filter, make sure to check its MERV rating. The MERV rating indicates how effective a particular filter is at trapping dust particles and preventing them from recirculating in your home.
The higher the MERV rating on a particular filter, the better it will be at trapping dust particles and improving indoor air quality. Finally, when installing a new furnace filter make sure that it is placed in its slot in the correct orientation. If not installed correctly it could cause damage to your furnace or reduce its efficiency.
