Absolutely. A more efficient air filter is designed to do a better job of cleaning the air as it enters your HVAC system, and ultimately into your home.

It depends on a couple factors. First, is your system new or old? One might think the higher the MERV rating the better. But sometimes using the most efficient filter (higher MERV rating) is not the right answer. This is because as filter efficiency increases, there is a corresponding increase in the level of air flow resistance. A highly-efficient filter may restrict air flow to a level that will damage your HVAC system by placing additional strain on the fan motor.

Second, does someone in your home suffer from allergies or asthma? Do you have small children or an elderly person living in your home.  Each of these groups are more susceptible to the adverse health effects associated with poor indoor air quality, therefore, you may want to ensure you install the best in indoor air filtration.

Regardless, you should use a filter rating that best corresponds to the requirement of your HVAC system (and health concerns), and yet provides maximum air cleaning benefit. When in doubt contact your manufacturer, your installer or an HVAC maintenance company.

Generally the higher the MERV rating the better job it does at cleaning your indoor air. HEPA air cleaners and filters are considered the best in the market.

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Rating Value. Standard 52.2 was developed by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning) in the late 1980’s to determine the overall efficiency of media air filters.

The rating system tells you how efficient a filter is at removing particulates from your indoor air. Represented by a numerical value ranging from 1 (lowest efficiency rating) to 20 (highest efficiency rating), MERV rating is used to rate the ability of a filter to remove dust from the air as it passes through the filter.

These ratings are determined by adding particles of varying sizes, from .3 microns to 10 microns, into a controlled testing environment. The particles are added upstream of the test filter, and a laser particle counter samples the air before it enters the filter and again after it leaves the filter. The two particle counts are compared to calculate the Particle Size Efficiency of the tested filter. Once this is determined, a MERV Parameters chart is used to determine the filters MERV rating.

Air cleaner filter is made of a variety of materials, including fiberglass, cotton, carbon, paper and even metal.

Carbon (often found in HEPA air cleaner filters) is used because it is very safe and effective in eliminating harmful gases, molecules, chemicals, fumes and odors from the air. HEPA filters are made out of very fine glass threads with a diameter of less than 1 micron (a micron is 0.00004 in, 0.001 mm).

By comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 75 microns (0.003 in, 0.07 mm). The fine glass threads are tangled together and compressed to form a filter mat.

HEPA filters will collect particles down to 0.3 microns (0.00001 in, 0.0003 mm) in diameter. Because HEPA Air Filtration Systems combine HEPA filters with carbon-based materials, they stop mold spores, bacteria, viruses, pet dander and dust, and also help to eliminate harmful gasses and odors from your home. Thus, the air that leaves this type of air purifying system is cleansed and almost totally free from contaminants.

Does an air cleaner eliminate my need to dust? Not completely. There will always be some dust that settles on furniture, as is it is too heavy to stay airborne and travel through your air cleaner.

To ensure your air cleaner is providing the greatest benefit, either run it continuously or run it often to keep air circulating through the air cleaner.  Be sure to change your air filter media as recommended; or in the case of an electronic air cleaner, clean it per the recommended intervals. 

Air is cleaned by an HVAC air cleaner while the HVAC system is on because it moves air through the air cleaner filtration system.

As the air passes through the air cleaner and the filter media within, it traps the unwanted particulates, allergens and contaminates. The air leaving the air cleaner after passing through the filter is free of particulates, allergens and other harmful contaminants. UV Purifiers utilize germicidal irradiation like the sun outdoors to eliminate mold, bacteria, germs and viruses from the air.

Why would I want to install air cleaners in my home?

Studies by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and other organizations have found that people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors. Today’s building construction practices means our homes and other buildings in which we spend time are more airtight and energy efficient than ever. As a result, we trap potentially irritating and harmful substances such as chemicals, odors, pollen, smoke, bacteria, mold spores, animal dander and numerous other irritants inside our homes.

Various studies indicate poor indoor air quality has been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, allergies, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, weight gain, internal organ damage and respiratory infections. Since studies of indoor air have found that air inside the home can be as much as 100 times more polluted than outdoor air, indoor air quality should be a concern for everyone. Young children and the elderly are most susceptible to poor indoor air quality. Therefore it is better for you to install air cleaners in your home.

Consider this:

1. Each person inhales over 3,500 gallons of air each day. Children inhale more particles for their size than adolescents or adults. The average person takes 20,000 breaths per day!

2. Polluted air causes 94% of all respiratory problems.
3. More than 31 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, about 1/3 are children under 18.
4. About 40,000 dust mites, a common household allergen, can live in one ounce of dust.
5. An estimated 10-15% of the entire population may be allergic to cat or dog dander.
6. A person sheds up to 700,000 skin flakes per day.

Indoor air pollution comes in 3 basic variations:

1. Particulates (35%): Particulates include: pet dander, dust, dust mites, asbestos dust, pesticides, pollen, post-fire ash, spray mist from aerosol products and more.

2. Gases (31%): Gases include: tobacco, paints, welding fumes, chemicals, varnishes, correction fluids, paint strippers, household cleaning products and more.

3. Germs (34%): Germs, mold, bacteria and viruses breed in consistently moist and / or unclean environments. They’re introduced into your home with water damage or when people enter your home.

There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

Some sources, such as building materials, furnishings, and household products like air fresheners, release pollutants more or less continuously. Other sources, related to activities carried out in the home, release pollutants intermittently. These include smoking, the use of unvented or malfunctioning stoves, furnaces, or space heaters, the use of solvents in cleaning and hobby activities, the use of paint strippers in redecorating activities, and the use of cleaning products and pesticides in house-keeping. High pollutant concentrations can remain in the air for long periods after some of these activities.