Negative air quality can have a serious effect on your health and wellbeing. To keep the air in your home clean, it’s essential that you take good care of your HVAC system. This means being smart with air filters. Keep reading to learn about 5 air filter mistakes you need to avoid.
1. Forgetting to Change Your Air Filter
Air filters work to clean the air that your HVAC system pumps around your house. When you forget to change them, problems can occur. As they become dirty, the air circulating through your home has a harder time getting through. This can lead to higher energy bills. They also only work for so long.
Eventually, the bacteria, dust, and allergens present will enter your home. Change your air filters regularly to keep your home’s air quality where it should be.
2. Installing Your Air Filter Incorrectly
Remembering to change your air filter is great. Knowing how to install it is another matter. When replacing air filters, look for an arrow on the side of the filter. Make sure that it’s facing towards your furnace and away from the duct carrying the air. If you install them backward, they won’t be able to stop the harmful particles from flowing into your house.
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3. Choosing the Wrong Filter Size
Did you know that air filters come in different sizes? Make sure you choose the right one for your unit. If you choose one that is too small, it won’t catch the different particles passing through, rendering it useless. Choose one that is too large, and you’ll have to jam it in. Finding one that is an exact fit will ensure that your system is doing the best job it can do.
4. Not Understanding the MERV Rating
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Essentially, it’s a rating from 1-20 of how effective your unit is at filtering out particles from the air. Hospitals, for example, require their air filters to have a MERV rating of 16.
Buying air filters with a higher MERV rating means that your system will do a better job at catching pollen, pet dander, dust, and mold. If you’re an allergy sufferer, opt into buying a higher-rated air filter.
5. Not Having Your HVAC Inspected
You can take steps to make sure that your HVAC system is functioning without a problem, but it’ll still require inspections from time to time. Professionals are able to get a better sense of your air filters, and can also make recommendations on services that’ll help it.
Avoid These Air Filter Mistakes
When you don’t stay on top of maintaining your HVAC system, your health can suffer as a result. By avoiding these five air filter mistakes, you’ll be on the path to having cleaner and more breathable air in your home.
Can you think of any other air filter maintenance tips? Let us know!
Also read: 5 Common Air Filter Mistakes to Avoid for Homeowners
