Which Air Filter Is Best For Me?

Choosing an air filter that best suits your needs can sometime be difficult and confusing.

We recommend a minimum rating of MERV 8 or MERV 10 for air filters in residential homes, apartments and condos. This is what the majority of people use. MERV 8 and MERV 10 air filters capture more than 20 times what the economy filters do, making them an excellent upgrade.

We have put together the information you need to help you make a decision based on your specific needs. 

Click below to learn more about which filters can help with the specific situation.

• There are pets in your home.

• You have children in your home.

• You suffer from allergies.

• You have asthma.

• You have a chronic health condition.

• Someone smokes in your home.

• You cook on a stove frequently.

• You have unpleasant odors from cooking or other sources in your home.

• You have a home business or hobby that generates dust.

• None of the above. Just need an inexpensive filter.

 

There are pets in your home.

Pets make great companions, but they also create a lot of dust, dander and shed hair. Animals with fur shed skin cells just like we do. These sheds cells and dander make up a portion of what we see as dust in our homes. Not only to our pets shed skin cells and dander, but if they go outside, there are many other particles that they bring back in with them. This just compounds the problems that most pet owners face with indoor air quality. We recommend MERV 11 air filters to our customers that own pets. These filters are excellent at removing all the things our pets generate or bring into the home. Follow the link below to learn more about MERV 11 air filters.

You have children in your home.

We all love our children, but they can be messy. Children are very active, in and out of the house a lot. This causes dust, dirt and allergens to be tracked into the house. Simply wiping your feet won't stop this. More importantly, we want our kids breathing clean indoor air. Insuring that you change your filter often will help prevent the spread of illnesses that children so often bring home from school or the playground. The more activity in your home, the more particulates that are created and stirred up into the air. For our customers with children in the home, we recommend a minimum of a MERV 8 air filter. If you are concerned with the spread of viruses and illness, you should consider a MERV 11 or MERV 13 filter. Follow the links below to learn more about each MERV rating.

You suffer from allergies.

Allergies are the worst. A large percentage of the population lives with symptoms from their allergies. They range from mild to severe symptoms. Since the air in our home is up to 5 or more times polluted than the air outside, these symptoms often get worse at home. This is caused by leaving and entering your home which allows allergens to enter naturally or on your person. We spend 90% of our time indoors and a large portion of that is in your home. If you suffer from allergies, we recommend a MERV 11 or MERV 13 air filter. If your allergies are mild, you will probably be OK with a MERV 11, but if they are severe, you should consider a MERV 13 air filter. Click below to learn more about MERV 11 and MERV 13 air filters.

You have asthma.

Asthma is a serious and scary condition. About 8% of the US population suffers from this condition. Almost 10% of children have asthma and these numbers are growing every year. Asthma is triggered by a number of things; air quality is a major factor. Indoor allergens and irritants like pets, molds, wood smoke, VOC's (volatile organic compounds), secondhand smoke and pests to name a few can trigger asthma attacks or make your asthma worse. For our customers who suffer from asthma, we recommend a MERV 13 air filter. These filters can remove many of the allergens and irritants that trigger asthma attacks. Click the chalkboard below to learn more about MERV 13 air filters. 

You have a chronic health condition.

Many people quietly suffer from chronic health conditions. It is important to take good care of yourself. We spend the majority of our lives in our homes and creating an environment with clean air is important in staying healthy and happy. If you are suffering from a chronic condition, we recommend a MERV 11 air filter. These air filters remove many of the particles that can make you sick like, mold spores, bacteria, pollen and more. Follow the link below to learn more about MERV 11 air filters.

Someone smokes in your home.

If you or someone else in your home smokes indoors, you should consider a MERV 13 air filter. Cigarette and cigar smoke contains many different particles and pollutants. They are very fine particles that stay suspended in the air for days or weeks. It also creates odors that most find offensive. MERV 13 air filters can remove not only these tiny particles, but some of the odors as well. Click below to learn more about MERV 13 air filters and how they can help you.

You cook on a stove frequently.

Many of us love to cook at home. Who doesn't love a home cooked meal? Although the rewards are great, cooking creates particles and odors that linger in our indoor air for exteneded periods of time. If you cook with natural gas, even more particulates and irritants are produce. All of these create allergens and dust that eventually settle on the surfaces of your home. For our customers that cook on the stove frequently, we recommend a MERV 8 or MERV 11 air filter. To learn more about these filters, click the links below.

You have unpleasant odors from cooking or other sources in your home.

Some things just smell bad. It could be from something you cooked or the pile of sneakers in the closet or by the door. Odors are particles, although invisible to the human eye, they are there. If you have odors in your home that linger, we recommend an air filter with activated carbon. The Glasfloss Carbotron series filters are a great choice to help remove offensive odors from your home. Follow the link below to learn more about Carbotron air filters.

You have a home business or hobby that generates dust.

Some businesses and hobbies can create an excess amount of dust and particles. Everything from scrapbooking to basket weaving will generate particulates and odors from chemicals or glue. These are irritating to your lungs and can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma attacks. For the avid hobbier or home business owner, we recommend at least a MERV 8 filter. Depending on the level of activity you are preforming, you may want to consider a MERV 11 or MERV 13 air filter. Learn more below about each of these filters.

Just need an inexpensive filter.

You may be on a tight budget or are fortunate enough to not have allergies, asthma, dust or odor issues in your home. Even without any of the situations above, protecting your equipment from damaging dust and particles is very important. The most common cause of a no heating or no cooling service call is a dirty or clogged filter. For our budget minded customers, we recommend our economy line of air filters. These filters will provide good equipment protection as well as remove some of the larger allergens from your indoor air. Learn more about these filters at the link below.