As a homeowner, you will want your house to be as energy-efficient as possible. Therefore, you will find and adopt ways to reduce energy consumption, including finding energy-efficient appliances or replacing parts to make your equipment energy efficient. One appliance that uses the most power in a typical family home is the air conditioner. Its energy consumption might get to the highest if you don’t service the equipment as required.
One recommended way of keeping your air conditioner energy efficient is by replacing its air filter regularly. This idea ensures that your HVAC system doesn’t struggle to work thus will not consume more power than recommended. Therefore, you have to choose the right filter anytime you do the replacement. Here are the factors to consider when buying the right filter for your AC.
Size of the Filter
When you go to the market, you will come across various AC filters on sale. However, it is essential to choose the right filter for your HVAC to ensure that it fits well and ensure your equipment works efficiently after that. As stated on the blog at filterbuy.com/resources/which-air-filter-should-i-choose/, size greatly matters when choosing a filter for your HVAC equipment. An ill-fitting size might allow pollutants to get into your home, reduce the system’s effectiveness, and increase your power bills.
When choosing the right size filter, check on the label on the filter frame to ensure that you get the right size. Other things you need to do to ensure you buy the right size are measuring the old filter, measuring the air intake and if stuck altogether, contact the appliance manufacturer for guidance.
Types of Filters
The filters you see on the market might be of the right size but made of different materials. Therefore, to ensure your appliance works efficiently, you have to choose a filter with the best material.
When selecting the materials, you need to check on two factors; cost and performance. If you want to go for materials that will reduce running costs, you can consider washable or reusable air filters. However, you can consider getting HEPA filters or pleated filters for the best performance, which will make your AC work efficiently.
Therefore, it is essential to balance reducing cost and getting higher performance with your appliance when buying a filter. Most people will go for the higher performance filters as they go hand in hand with reducing the energy bills.
Filter Change Schedule
Changing your filter aims to get the freshest air and make your equipment work efficiently. Not all filters on sale are of the best quality. Some are made of inferior or materials that won’t last long and will require regular replacement. Regardless of the type, all filters will need changing to improve the air quality and make the machine work more efficiently.
When choosing the filter, you have to check its duration pattern. You will need to change air filters like fiberglass every month, while you can wait until three months to change the pleated ones. So, before getting the air filter, it is essential to read the manual or ask the manufacturer about the replacement schedule. While you are trying to conserve your energy bills, you will also need a filter that will stay for a considerable time.
MERV Ratings
MERV ratings define how a filter can effectively capture the pollutants from the air inside your house. A higher MERV rating filter is more efficient than one with lower ratings. Therefore, when buying an air filter for your HVAC system, you must check the ratings and get something that will work efficiently with your appliance and improve your indoor air quality.
MERV ratings range from 1 to 20. Most air filters we use in our homes, including UV light filters, Pleated Filters, fiberglass filters, and electrostatic filters, have a MERV rating of 1 to 15. The HEPA filters have a MERV range of 15 to 20, meaning they are the best if you want to get the best indoor air quality. What does this mean to electricity consumption? An air filter with the highest rating will work effectively in improving your indoor air quality, while one with the lowest rating will have to work more, thus might consume more power.
No single air filter fits all air conditioners. Therefore to ensure your equipment works well to reduce power consumption, you must make sure to buy the right filter. The right filter should mean the size, material quality, and performance to make your equipment work efficiently, consuming less power.
