It’s winter and that means you’re most likely spending a lot of time indoors. With the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, air purification has become an important topic of discussion. You need an air filter in your home that’s cost-effective and has the capacity to filter out allergens, contaminants, and other harmful particulates so that you can breathe easy. It’s not enough to simply choose the right air filter for your home; you also need to know how it works and how to replace it when the time comes. Here are a few important factors to consider for choosing air filters for your home in Ontario.
Things to Consider when Choosing an Air Purifier for Your Home in Ontario
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Eliminate Asthma Triggers in the Air
Allergens and certain particulates in the air can trigger asthma and make it harder for people to breathe. Airborne asthma triggers include:
- Dust mites
- Pet dander
- Mould
- Outdoor air pollution making its way into your home
- Chemical sprays and disinfectants
- Tobacco smoke
There are many more examples, but these are just the most common ones. A properly fitted and installed HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) air filtration system for your home can help eliminate all of these asthma triggers by trapping them and preventing from being released back into the air.
Eliminate Harmful Chemicals from Indoor Environments
As more people are doing their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the use of disinfectant sprays, wipes, and chemical cleaners has increased drastically over the past few years. While these chemicals are effective at killing germs and viruses, they can also linger in the air and stick to your furniture, clothing, and any other fabrics throughout your home.
Opening a window while using these chemicals can certainly eliminate some of the strong odours, but chemical residues can remain in your home for long periods of time and negatively impact the air you and your loved ones breathe.
Breathing in these toxins for long periods of time severely decreases the quality of your health and can even lead to various types of illnesses. When choosing a portable or whole home air filter in Canada, make sure to check its toxin removal efficacy rating.
Check the Filter Size
When it comes to choosing effective air filtration systems for your home, size matters. HVAC systems for the home can come in many different sizes. It’s important to choose a filter that fits your heating, cooling, and air purification system perfectly. Gaps between your filter and HVAC system allow harmful airborne particulates to bypass the filtration system and make their way into your home. To prevent this from happening, you need to make sure that the filter fits snugly into your HVAC system once it’s installed.
Thickness also matters. The thicker the filter is, the more particulates it can capture and the less often it’ll need to be replaced. Filters typically range from less than one inch to about four inches in thickness, but most homes only have enough room for filters on the thinner side. For that reason, it’s important to double check the exact length and width you need for your HVAC unit.
Read Online Reviews
If you’re having trouble deciding what type of air filter suits your needs, reading online reviews can give you a little perspective from actual consumers. Online consumer reviews provide insight into the installation process, efficacy, and value of a variety of air filters. This will help you decide which product is right for your needs.
Research Air Filter Care and Maintenance
Not all air filters are made exactly the same. There are many different types on the market that are designed for specific filtration tasks and performance requirements. Each type of air filter has unique care and maintenance requirements that maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. New and clean air filters function a lot better than older used ones. But applying the right care and maintenance can help extend the lifespan of your air filter. Make sure to research maintenance instructions and follow them carefully to get the most value out of your air filter.
Clean Air Delivery Rate
All air filtration systems for homes have a clean air delivery rate (CADR). The CADR quantifies the amount of clean air the air purifier is able to deliver per cubic feet. Portable air filters for homes should generally follow the two-thirds rule. Air purifiers consist of a filter and a fan to disperse clean air throughout the room.
Ambient air enters into the system, flows through the filter that captures all of the harmful particulates and clean air is blown back into the space through the fan. A to-quality air filtration system should have a CADR that equals to about two-thirds of the room’s surface area.
Look into Different Types of Air Filters
Air filters come in different lengths and thicknesses, but they can also be made out of different materials. It’s important to know about the different types of air filters so you can find one that’s compatible with your HVAC system.
- Permanent electrostatic. These are washable and reusable air filters that consist of charged fibers to eliminate captured particulates. They last anywhere between six and eight years. They’re cost-effective and easy to clean, but not as effective as the others on this list.
- Disposable fiberglass. These are cheap filters that are ideal for capturing large particles like hair debris, dust, and lint, but not as effective for minuscule particulates.
- Disposable electrostatic. Featuring electrically charged fibers, these effectively attract and capture large and small particles in the air.
- Pleated disposable. These require more frequent replacements but are capable of attracting and capturing all types of contaminants and particles.
Check the Efficiency Rating
All air filters have an EPA-issued Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) that indicates how efficiently they attract and capture airborne contaminants, particles, and viruses. Ratings for home filters range from 1 (low end) to 13 (high end). Higher efficiency ratings typically have a lower airflow, which can increase your energy consumption due to added resistance. To maintain a reasonable airflow, it’s recommended that you purchase an air filter with a MERV rating of about 6 or slightly higher.
Contact Georgian Water & Air for Quality Air Filters for Your Home in Ontario
At Georgian Water & Air, we specialize in provide high-quality, state-of-the-art, and energy efficient home water and air filters to our clients throughout Simcoe County. Contact us today to learn about our whole home air filtration systems.