How to Choose a Furnace Filter

Keep your home’s air clean and your furnace clear with the right furnace filter.

As a homeowner, you want your home’s air to be clean. Furnace filters clean particles from the air going through your heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. This helps improve indoor air quality in your home and keeps your furnace healthy.

Using the proper furnace filter will increase the lifespan of your HVAC system. If you don’t use the right furnace filter, you can actually clog the airflow into your HVAC system. The same thing happens if furnace filters aren’t changed or cleaned regularly.

Ultimately, your furnace filter should decrease the amount of allergens in your house. Learn about the different kinds of furnace filters available with Blain’s Farm & Fleet.

MERV Rating

When you’re purchasing a furnace filter, you should know which MERV rating works for you. MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, which measures the efficiency of your air filter. This scale goes from 1 to 20 by rating a filter’s worst possible performance of filtering particles at a size of .3 to 10 microns.

The typical MERV rating for home filters is in the 1 to 12 range. Hospitals and general surgeries will have filters with a higher MERV rating, ranging from 13 to 16.

Any MERV rating higher than 16 will be found in electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing clean-rooms. These are specially designed to control viruses, carbon dust, sea salt, and smoke.

Home furnace filters commonly remove particles such as:

• Pollen
• Dust mites
• Carpet fibers
• Pet dander
• Mold spores
• Dust
• Bacteria

A high MERV rating does not mean a better filter. Your filter can actually become more clogged if it has a higher MERV rating. This can make your HVAC system ineffective.

Types of Furnace Filters

Disposable Fiberglass

Disposable fiberglass furnace filters are the most commonly used filters. These filters prevent dust, lint, and debris from clogging up your furnace system.

They are inexpensive, but have little effect on keeping the air clean.

The MERV rating is 2-3.

Disposable Pleated

Disposable pleated filters are usually made from polyester or cotton paper. They can filter out some tiny particles like spores and mites.

They’re a great option because they’re inexpensive and can be made from eco-friendly materials. But if they’re not changed frequently, they can clog your HVAC system.

The MERV rating is 6.

Disposable Electrostatic

Disposable electrostatic filters carry an electronic charge, which acts like a magnet. Electrostatic furnace filters attract dust particles through their electric charge. These filters are made from cotton or paper fibers.

Standard size disposable electrostatic filters are easily affordable, but they can get expensive if you need a custom size. They are great for houses with pets, smokers, or children.

The MERV rating is 10.

Permanent Electrostatic

These are similar to the disposable kind of electrostatic filters. The cotton fibers attract particles using an electronic charge. You can remove the permanent filters and clean them in a washing machine.

They are reusable for about six to eight years, making them cost-effective. And they are environmentally friendly, as they produce very little waste. However, custom size permanent electrostatic filters can be expensive.

The MERV rating is 8.

High-Efficiency Pleated

These are the most expensive furnace filters available. They filter the smallest particles, and hospitals typically use them.

High-efficiency pleated furnace filters can be helpful for people with respiratory or autoimmune health issues. However, you won’t commonly find these in homes because of their bulky size and cost.

The MERV rating for these filters is 14-16.

We hope this information has helped you get an idea of what kind of air filter is best for you and your home.

For more home care tips, check out our Home Maintenance Blog.