In the season of winter, the HEPA filter for the furnace is the most conversational topic in the community who got furnaces. Is it a valid requirement? If so, where should we place it? Or what is the best filter for it? Several kinds of jumbled questions.
Therefore, from today’s Know Your Facts, we decided to give some ideas about What is these HEPA Air Filter for Furnace. If you are also using furnaces, knowing about it might always be worth. So stay tuned. Read and enjoy.
Furnace Air pollutions
Combustion of the indoor furnaces is one of the main reasons behind the poor indoor atmosphere. With the introduction of electric and gas furnaces, this level has been reduced significantly compared with other furnaces.
Even so, with upcoming market trend to oil, wood or coal type furnaces there is sort increase in air pollution level in some industrial places lately.
One of the main complaints behind these furnaces is the development of dirt and dust around the area and through the ducts.
Mostly this happens due to poor ducts and clogging inside them. Without proper cleanup or a filtration setup, it might sick the people who engage around it; on the other hand, that also indirectly impacts the furnace.
Another main issue is that they diminish indoor ventilation at a significant level. Most indoor furnaces run using natural gas, propane, heating oil, or sometimes wood. So they eventually create Carbon oxides (CO2/CO) and water vapour as by-products.
Indoor areas are not quite capable of handling increment of these air pollutants in a limited area unless it has got well-maintained ventilation system.
For example, the air pollutant carbon monoxide, known as a silent killer, developed in furnaces due to a lack of required oxygen levels.
The practical situation is, that even though we cannot assure the oxygen content in furnace areas, these toxic air pollutants need to be well-excluded.
What is Furnace Air Filter?
These air filters ensure proper ventilation around the furnace and its efficient performance, which leads to a better air quality index.
1. It keeps Users Healthy
As mentioned earlier, furnaces create an inhospitable environment around them most of the time.
Smoke always gets clogged inside the ducts, and people working with it inhale toxic air particles knowingly.
Practically, air filters can not hold 100% of the air contaminants coming from the furnaces. However, the usage of a furnace is your requirement.
And on the other hand, your respiratory system’s health protection is also worthy. Therefore protection of air filter is the best option you can try.
2. It Prevents clogging ducts
Air filters can trap most of these harmful air particles, dust, dirt, etc. So with a pass of time, even when we use them, these filters need to be replaced.
Imagine you do not use a filter; dirt might be clogged inside, leading to a messed-up situation after a while.
Cleanup dust and unclog it are the worst nightmare we can imagine. Air filters make this condition much more practical and convenient to face.
3. Seasonal Cooling and Heating
In the period of summer and winter, due to the heavy equipment operating, higher levels of furnace air contaminants are present in the duct than usual.
That is the reason why these filters need to change several times higher than fall and spring. Furnace filters give extra involvement and protection in those seasons than usual.
4. Protection from the Allergies
As mentioned previously, furnace-related smoke is quite toxic, and it eventually encourages mucus production around our airways and increases existing respirational problems like asthma.
Besides that, nasal congestion, sneezing, and coughing are quite common health breakdowns that lead to allergy conditions.
Air filters are one main help on that side, which gives protection, especially for those who suffer from allergies.
What are HEPA Filters
HEPA stands for High-efficiency Particulate Air Filters, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Recommended HEPA filter identified as removing dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles down to the size of 0.3 microns (µm) with a higher level efficiency of 99.97%.
Larger particles bigger than the given size have fully capturing capability for HEPA filters. Average smoke particles, dust and dirt, have a size of around 2.5 microns.
Therefore, reliable protection can eventually be expected through this HEPA Air Filter for Furnace. So HEPA filters are much more suitable for the worst-case scenario.
If you are looking for a perfect air filter, first need to check your basic requirements. How does your filtration need to be handled?
Practically, the HEPA filters’ issue is that they strictly clog the airflow. If your pollution level is quite low, trying a lower-performing filter is the best idea.
Other than that, manufacturer recommendations are the best option. Also, check the filter’s MERV ratings, which gives a better idea about the behavior of filters depending on the different air contaminants.
What is MERV Rating
According to the (ASHRAE) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, society filters behave different filtrate efficiency against air pollutants.
This capability is rated under a specific value called MERV rating (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). According to these values, Higher MERV value rated filters can capture small airborne contaminants with higher efficacy than lower MERV valued rated filters.
Here are some MERV values for your reference before making a better selection for your filter.
| MARV Values | Applications | Air Contaminants |
|---|---|---|
| MARV 1 MARV 2 MARV 3 MARV 4 | Pre-Filters 1. Commercial Buildings 2. Residential Furnaces 3. Window Air conditioners | 1. Pollen 2. Dust Mites 3. Dust 4. Carpet fibers ( Filters down to 10.0 micron) |
| MARV 5 MARV 6 MARV 7 MARV 8 | Pre-filters or Final Filters 1. Commercial Buildings 2. Residential Buildings 3. Industrial Workplaces | Plus 5. Mold spores 6. Dust lint 7. Cement dust ( Filters down to 3.0 –10.0 micron) |
| MARV 9 MARV 10 MARV 11 MARV 12 | Pre-Filters or Final Filters 1. Hospital Laboratories 2. Commercial Buildings 3. Bigger Residential Buildings | Plus 8. Lead dust 9. Humidifier dust 10. Coal dust ( Filters down to 1.0 – 3.0 micron) |
| MARV 13 MARV 14 MARV 15 MARV 16 | Final Filters 1. General Surgery 2. Bigger Commercial Buildings 3. Hospital Inpatient Care 4. Smoking Lounges | 11. Bacteria 12. Tobacco smoke 13. Auto fumes 14. Insecticide dust 15. Copier toner 16. Pet dander 17. Face powder ( Filters down to 0.3 – 1.0 micron) |
| MARV 17 MARV 18 MARV 19 MARV 20 | Final Filter 1. Clean Rooms 2. Radioactive Materials 3. Pharmaceutical Facilities 4. Carcinogenic Materials 5. Surgery Room | 18. Virus carriers 19. Carbon dust 20. Sea salt 21. Combustion smoke 22. Radon progeny 23. Odor 24. Microscopic allergens ( Filters down to 0.3 microns) |
Where should They be placed?
Normally, Air Filter for the Furnace should be placed in between the duct pathway and furnace blower motor assembly.
Placement should be located without having leakages in this path. Otherwise, the filter might not work properly, and toxic gas will leak into the filtered gas.
Another main is to change your Air Filter for the furnace regularly.
Plan a calendar to check the air filter as a monthly check. This might be very helpful in understanding the furnace’s behavior in a given period of time.
Otherwise clogged air filter makes things worst. Also, special check air filters separately in summer and winter. As mentioned earlier, air contaminants behave differently during that period of time.
You might need a higher number of filters as usual. Design a yearly pattern using data from time to time.
It might give an idea about your cost of filter change and indoor air pollutant behavior with time.
1. Read More – Best VOC Air Filter Air Purifiers in 2022 – Read More
2. Read More – KNOW YOUR FACTS
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