The Peachtree City area’s sultry summers place a high demand on your air conditioner, so anything you can do to protect the system helps. Installing a high-quality air filter is one of the simplest ways to do this.

How the Right Filter Helps

The first job of an air conditioner’s filter isn’t to improve indoor air quality, but to protect the system from debris. Without good filtration, debris particles such as hair, carpet fibers, dust and pollen enter your system and build up on the blower fan motor, evaporator coil and other components.

Even a thin layer of buildup prevents these components from operating as designed, placing them under strain. The added pressure and heat can cause the components to fail early.

Those thin disposable fiberglass filters do the minimum acceptable by trapping large particles such as hair and lint. Because these filters aren’t very dense, though, many particles slip through. A well-made, higher-efficiency filter traps a much higher percentage of particles, protecting your equipment from damaging debris buildup.

Choosing Your Optimal Efficiency

The easiest way to find an air filter that will efficiently protect your air conditioner is to check the filter’s minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). The higher the MERV, the more efficient the filter. For optimal protection for your system and convenience for you, consider these two ranges:

• MERV 5 to 8 – These are typically polyester flat panel filters or pleated filters made of cotton or synthetic material. They’re sufficient if no one in your home has a respiratory condition such as seasonal allergies.
• MERV 9 to 11 – Filters in this range are typically pleated models. They’re an ideal choice for someone with a respiratory condition because they both protect the HVAC system and trap most lung irritants.

Check the air filter monthly and change it when dirt has begun accumulating. A dirty filter can knock down your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent and eventually let chunks of debris enter your system.

For more information on choosing a quality air filter, or for other home comfort concerns, contact the professionals at Powers Heating and Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Bruce Raynor/Shutterstock”