3 Things You Should Know About HVAC Filters

3 Things You Should Know About HVAC Filters

HVAC filters are key components in your home heating and cooling systems. It’s important that you understand what they do and when they need to be replaced. Here are three things the experts at S&R Heating & Cooling want White Bear Lake and Woodbury homeowners to know for good airflow and high system performance.

  1. Filters protect your furnace and air conditioning equipment. They remove airborne particles before they get inside, build up, and hinder operation of the system’s many moving parts.
  2. The purpose of the filter is NOT to improve indoor air quality. Despite popular belief, standard HVAC filters do little to reduce the particles you inhale and the respiratory problems they cause. That’s because dust, pet dander, pollen, and other pollutants are constantly entering the air and being moved around. The filter can only remove them when the fan is blowing and they work their way into the duct system. If you or a family member have allergies or asthma and are concerned about air quality, a Bryant® air purifier is a far better choice than an expensive filter. This system is designed to continually clean the air, even when your furnace or A/C isn’t running.
  3. Some high-efficiency filters are so good that they may actually slow airflow across the heat exchanger. This can reduce efficiency, raise your energy bills, and cause your furnace to overheat. Similarly, they can cause freezing on the condensing coils in your A/C unit.

More Answers for Homeowners

Because the wrong filter, or a dirty one, can cause serious problems in your system, check with an HVAC pro about what one you should use and how often you need to change it. S&R Heating is happy to answer all your questions about HVAC products as well as water heaters and water softeners—just call us for advice or assistance.