Entries Tagged 'compare' ↓

Question: Pardon my ignorance…Thank goodness for folks like you!! I just purchased a top-of-the-line Trane unit.  I did not realize there are so many different types of filters. In my old unit, I used cheap fibreglass filters - not knowing that was a mistake (however my old Trane ran for 17 years +, with less than $300 in repairs that entire time-period, and no annual maintenance.) With this new unit, what should I use, or let me ask like this… Is a Nordic Pure or 3M Filtrete Micro-Particle Reduction Filter 700 alright to use? Both filters are one inch thick but the Filtrete filter doesn’t have a MERV rating on it.

Let me start by saying that in my opinion Trane is one of the top residential air conditioner and heat pump manufacturers. Their equipment performs well and usually operates trouble free. Although, I would consider 17 years of trouble free service with less than $300 in repairs to be exceptional.

The only thing I consider to be more important than a quality product is the quality of the installation. This is far more important. The best equipment installed inadequately will not perform as well as equipment of lower quality that is installed properly.

What is the difference between fibreglass filters and Nordic Pure or Filtrete filters?

Fibreglass filters were originally designed to prevent things from getting into your furnace or air conditioning system and causing problems with fans, pulleys and other components. They were not designed to improve indoor air quality.

Nordic Pure and Filtrete filters do both. They improve indoor air quality by attracting and capturing allergy causing micro particles, and help keep your equipment clean. Air in your home is continually re-circulated through these filters, and is cleaned each it passes through the filter.

What does electrostatic mean?

These pleated electrostatic filters are made with positive and negative charged media fibres. Particles in the air passing through the filter will be either positively or negatively charged and result in the charged particles sticking to the filter.

Are Nordic Pure pleated air filters antimicrobial?

From their website:

How often do I need to change pleated air filters?

These filters should be changed every three months. However, the effectiveness and life of the filter will vary depending on the individual conditions in your home. A dirty duct system, construction, pets, smokers and running the fan continuously are some of the things that can shorten the life of your filter.

In these cases, the filter should be checked more frequently and changed if needed. For the untrained eye it can be difficult to determine if the filter is dirty enough to change or not, an air filter change indicator installed on your air handler can help with this.

Do I have to worry about restricted air flow with these filters?

These pleated air filters are designed to operate in most residential furnaces and air conditioning systems. If the filter remains in use longer than three months, it may begin to restrict airflow or cause operating problems.

The best furnace filters to use in your home are the ones that provide the results that you want. When trying to choose a filter to use it is important to consider what you objectives are. Just because a filter is the most efficient doesn’t make it the best furnace filter. It just makes it the best choice for a person who has allergies or other health concerns. There are many variables to consider when selecting a replacement air filter for your furnace or air conditioner. We have created a list of the most common types of filters used by home owners. These are not the only furnace filters available but they are among the most common types.

Pleated furnace filters

• Pleated air filters are the most common filters used in residential and commercial HVAC equipment. They are probably the easiest to find at your local hardware store although better pricing is available online.
• These filters are available in a wide range of efficiencies from about MERV 5 to MERV 12. The higher the MERV rating is the more efficient the filter is. This also means that it may need to be changed more often because the more dust it collects the faster it begins to have a negative impact on air flow.
• These filters are very easy to maintain. Simply change them every two to four months or when recommended by the manufacturer.
• One of the things that make them so common and popular is that they are available in custom sizes.

Electrostatic furnace filters

• Some electrostatic furnace filters are very high quality and will last for many years. Wash them once a month and they are as good as new.
• Electrostatic air filers cost more to purchase but they eliminate the monthly expense of buying disposable filters. Pay $50 to $100 up front for an electrostatic air filter or $5 to $10 or more each time you change your disposable air filter. This adds up to decent savings over a 10 year period. If you replace a $5 filter 4 times a year it adds up to $200 dollars in 10 years. A $10 disposable air filter will cost $400 in 10 years. It’s the little things that save you money.
• If you don’t like doing maintenance tasks then these filters are not for you. They must be maintained properly so they will remain effective.
• If Green living and the environment are important to you these filters are a good choice because they reduce landfill usage and they last for many years.

Media air filters (Pre-Cut Media Pads)

• Pre Cut media air filter pads are not used as often as the types listed above because they are not as popular with retail stores.
• If maintenance is not your thing and you sometimes forget to change your filters these may be for you. Media pads are much more forgiving. They have a much greater dust loading capacity than the other filters listed here. This means that when neglected it takes longer for it to negatively impact air flow and you can potentially avoid the decline in equipment operating efficiency that the other filters create when neglected.
• Carbon media pad inserts can be installed with these filters to help control odors.
• Pre cut pads are less expensive than most of the quality pleated air filters.

HEPA filters

• Hepa air filters are the most efficient air filters available.
• These filters utilize the pleated design of standard pleated air filters. The difference is in the number of pleats per inch of filter and the material used in the construction of the filters is much more efficient at stopping dust, pet dander, pollen and other airborne allergy causing contaminants that you may find in your house.
• Some brands, such as the Hepa-Pure, can be cleaned and used several times.
• True HEPA filters are 99.97% efficient and can remove particles as small a .3 microns in size.

Compare Filtrete and Nordic Pure pleated air filters

Question: I would like to save costs by getting a washable air filter, but it seems that none of them can get a MERV over 8, and I’d like something with a MREV of 11 or higher since we have allregies in the family.  How does Boair or air-care-filters.com filters compare to the filtrete ultra allergen. If I need to get a disposable, is the Nordic the best priced disposable filter?

You are correct about washable filters. Although they don’t have MERV ratings they perform close to a MERV 8. Although washable filters have their own positive characteristics, if allergies are a concern for you I would recommend high efficiency pleated air filters.

I did some quick investigating and this is what I found when comparing these pleated air filters

- Filtrete Ultra Allergen filters are $13.88 at Walmart and they have a MERV rating of 11 (I used Walmart because they usually have good prices)

- Nordic Pure Box of 6 is $48.97 which works out to $8.16 each and they have a MERV rating of 12

Both of these pleated air filters enhance the performance of their filters electrostaticly.

Nordic Pure and Filtrete filters don’t support the growth of bacteria, fungi, mildew or mold.

Nordic Pure filters have a higher MERV rating and they are much less expensive than Filtrete Ultra Allergen filters.

One of the problems when trying to compare the different types of furnace filers available is that there is quite a bit of information to sort through. When trying to compare efficiencies, brands, MERV ratings, price, characteristics and the types of filters available, you can suffer from information overload.

The first thing to do before sorting through all of the above information is to determine what type of air filter is best suited for your specific needs. After deciding on the type of filter you want to use then it is time to compare and review the filters of that type to make your decision.

I have compiled a chart to help compare air filters most commonly used in heating and air conditioning equipment. It lists some of the pros and cons of each of the common types of filters and also lists some important details of each type.