Mechanical air filters are found in the duct system of your central air conditioner. Replace or clean them often to properly maintain your A/C.

When purchasing an air filter for your southwest Florida home, you can compare its relative efficiency at removing airborne particles from your air supply using the MERV rating. This minimum efficiency reporting value rating ranges from 1 (low level of efficiency) up to a maximum of 20.

• Flat panel air filters (with MERV ratings 1-4) are often used in residential air conditioning and heating systems. Their purpose is mainly to protect the HVAC equipment from accumulating damaging materials on the internal surfaces. Low-MERV filters aren’t intended to improve indoor air quality and will miss microscopically small particles like viruses and bacteria. They’ll also miss some of the airborne pollen, dust, insect allergens, pet dander and mold spores that are a big concern here in Southwest Florida.
• Extended surface (pleated) filters are rated medium or high on the MERV scale. Medium-efficiency filters (MERV 5-13) are moderately effective at removing potential lung irritants and other airborne particles.
• MERV 7-13  filters are almost as effective as much-higher-rated HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, but much less expensive. Medium-efficiency filters have other advantages; they allow better airflow rates and run more quietly than HEPAs (and other high-efficiency products) because they’re less air resistant.
• Higher-efficiency filters (MERV ratings 14-16), look like true HEPA filters and are sometimes mistakenly called by that name.
• True HEPA filters are rated MERV 17-20, however, and will often overpower home cooling equipment, blocking airflow. So they’re not used often in residential systems, but more often in hospitals and laboratories.

Before purchasing a MERV 14 or above filter, be certain it’s compatible with your cooling system’s fan and motor capacity. Professionally retrofitted residential home comfort systems may be able to accommodate true HEPAs, along with certain high performance houses that might come equipped with a HEPA-compatible system.

Questions about air filters or how to install one in your particular HVAC system? Contact Conditioned Air for expert advice for Southwest Florida homeowners. Please visit our website to learn more or just pick up the phone.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air filter image via Shutterstock

Did you know that replacing your air filter monthly (or whenever it appears dirty) is one of the easiest and more cost-effective ways to keep your air conditioner in shape for the coming summer season? It’s true. 

Unfortunately, the job is also easy to forget and sometimes confusing to carry out. Your HVAC contractor will replace your filter for you during a semi-annual maintenance visit, but in between it’s up to you. Let’s look at the many benefits of a clean air filter:

• Your indoor air quality depends upon it. Here in Southwest Florida, you probably use your cooling system much of the year, and hopefully you also have humidity control incorporated into your central A/C system. But your home comfort system also has another job – circulating clean air through your home. Your filter is a key component in the system to improve your indoor air quality. Poor air quality can be harmful to your family’s health.
• Your air conditioner’s efficiency depends on it. A clean air filter saves you money on utility bills. When the filter’s clogged, your A/C works harder to push air through the dirty filter and uses excess energy.
• The life of your cooling system depends on it. A clogged filter won’t provide enough airflow through the system, allowing dirt to accumulate on internal parts. The result is stale air and a shorter life expectancy for central air conditioning equipment. System failures are also a concern. Restricted airflow puts extra stress on the fan motor, causing overheating and possible breakdown.
• Your ducts depend on it. Dirty filters cause your ductwork to accumulate dirt internally. This can reduce air flow, contaminate the air and lead to duct-cleaning expenses to rid the system of uncontrolled mold growth or insect infestations.
• The environment depends on it. Decreasing your carbon footprint helps reduce global warming.

Questions about air filters? Talk to the experts at Conditioned Air. We can help you choose the best filter for your A/C system and explain how to replace it. Visit our website to learn more about our services or just give us a call.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air filter image via Shutterstock

Filter maintenance may not top your list of concerns. Your air conditioner and furnace continue to chug along, with or without your attention. But filter maintenance shouldn’t be ignored, even during milder seasons in Southwest Florida.

Here are three good reasons not to ignore filter maintenance:

• Clean filters preserve the life of your HVAC system. HVAC systems are designed to circulate healthy air through your home, and filters are an integral part of their design. Filters keep indoor pollutants from running through the system and becoming airborne. As the filter removes particles from the air, it becomes caked with allergens and dust. Your HVAC equipment has to work harder to blow air through a dirty filter, and that extra work can shorten the life of your system.
• Clean filters reduce allergens in your home. Modern HVAC systems recirculate air throughout the house, which helps maintain a comfortable temperature. But it also means allergens such as molds, pollen, pet dander and dust get recirculated. To reduce allergens in your home, choose efficient filters and check them monthly during Southwest Florida’s hot summers.
• Clean filters save money on your utility bill. HVAC systems are designed to run as often as is necessary to achieve and maintain the desired temperature in your home. If your filter is dirty or clogged and air can’t easily pass through, your system will nonetheless continue to work to reach your desired temperature. All that extra work shows up as large numbers on your utility bill. Give your HVAC system and your wallet a break and change those filters.

Filter maintenance is an easy but easily overlooked task. If you’re prone to forgetting to change the filter, set a certain day each month for checking it or install an air filter gauge to help you change it frequently enough to preserve your system, reduce allergens in your home and keep your utility bill under control.

For more ideas on how to improve or preserve your home’s HVAC system, contact the professionals at Conditioned Air. Serving Southwest Florida, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air filter image via Shutterstock

Maintaining the air quality in your home includes understanding the air filters that your cooling and heating system uses.

Maintaining air filters for your cooling and heating system is important because they remove particles from the air, keeping your system running efficiently and improving the air quality in your home. Over time, air filters can get clogged and dirty, so they must be replaced or cleaned regularly.

It is important to be familiar with the style of air cleaner that you are using. A properly fitted filter is essential. So, first, check your system’s owner’s manual to determine the size you need.

Then consider MERV ratings. MERV, or minimum efficiency reporting value, is a rating of air filters’ effectiveness. It runs on a scale of 1 to 20, with MERV 20 filters being most effective at catching airborne particles.

A higher-rated filter isn’t necessarily best for your system, however. For example, filters rated on the MERV scale from 17 to 20 are known as HEPA filters, and they’re often so dense they’ll limit the airflow in your residential heating and cooling system — hurting more than helping. Instead, a filter rated from MERV 7 to 13 might be best. It’ll catch nearly all your household particles without impeding your system’s airflow.

A MERV rating of at least 8 is recommended for those who have pets, due to the hair and dander. For individuals who suffer with allergies or other respiratory issues, go for a filter rated at least 9 to 12.

Other factors to consider:

• Some air filters contain activated carbon, which is recommended for those who have pets in the home. This material is a natural solution that can absorb many fumes and noxious odors.
• In general, you should check you air filter monthly and change or wash them as needed. Some air filters, however, may need to be cleaned or replaced more than once a month. This is especially true during seasons of high pollen, in households with numerous pets, in households that use candles or incense and during colder months.

Questions? Contact us at Conditioned Air, serving Southwest Florida since 1962.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about selecting and maintaining air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Improving your indoor air quality helps protect you and your family from contaminants in your home. This can be particularly important for members of your household who suffer from allergies or asthma. Here are a few ways to improve your indoor air quality:

• Source control. The most cost-effective way to reduce indoor pollution is to eliminate its sources. Smoking, the use of unvented heaters, gas stoves and household cleaners are among common sources of indoor pollutants. You can have your stove adjusted, for example, to reduce emissions, and chose safer cleaners.
• Ventilation. A home should be tightly sealed to maintain its energy efficiency, but some fresh air needs to be able to get in. You can install or upgrade fans in your kitchen and bathrooms to expel dirty air outside instead of circulating it indoors. When doing indoor activities that require the use of hazardous chemicals, such as painting, be sure your work area is well-ventilated with fans and open windows. 
• Air filtration. The MERV (minimum efficiency rating value) is the measurement of how efficient your air filter is at capturing tiny particles. Use a filter with a MERV between 13 and 16 in your heating and cooling equipment — these filters will capture most pollutants without hindering your HVAC system’s airflow. Change your filters regularly. 
• UV lights. These remarkably effective germicidal tools kill microorganisms, such as mold, in the air. An HVAC professional can install them for you as part of your existing system. While UV lights don’t trap non-living particles in your air, such as dust, they can be used in tandem with high-efficiency air filters to achieve very high air quality. 

To learn about more strategies that can help you improve your indoor air quality, contact Conditioned Air.  We have served Southwest Florida since 1962.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about improving indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Keeping your air filters fresh is important. Clean air filters contribute to HVAC efficiency and enhance your indoor air quality. They can become clogged quickly, depending on a variety of factors, so it’s a good idea to check them at least once a month. If you can only keep on top of one aspect of HVAC maintenance between regular service calls, changing your filters should be it!

Air filters are designed to trap contaminants, keeping them out of your equipment and living space. When filters become clogged, they cannot do their job. The dust and other particles can back up in your HVAC equipment and coat the interiors of your ductwork. This has the effect of reducing airflow through the entire system.

Proper airflow matters. It matters to your comfort, to adequate circulation throughout your home, and to efficient performance. The HVAC system was designed to handle a certain amount of airflow, and if it’s denied that, it will strain itself trying to keep up with your thermostat settings. The equipment will degrade more quickly. You may experience the problem as hot and cold spots, stuffy rooms, high indoor humidity, increased repairs and rising utility payments.

Your indoor air quality will suffer, too. Indoor air is already on the EPA’s hot list for the five most hazardous health threats in the nation, and this is largely due to the high concentration of contaminants that are present in most homes. There’s no need to compound the problem when you can easily combat it by changing your air filters. Depending on its efficiency rating, a clean, quality air filter can capture pollutants including:

• Dust.
• Dust mites.
• Gaseous fumes from chemical cleaners, paints and varnishes.
• Bacteria.
• Viruses.
• Mold spores.
• Yeast cells.
• Tobacco smoke.

Even if you have high-efficiency equipment, it’s important to keep it maintained, or it simply will not be able to operate at peak performance. Don’t undermine your system’s efficiency by neglecting it. Contact Conditioned Air today. We’ll be happy to help you find the best air filters for your needs and your HVAC equipment.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!   

We know it’s important to manage your indoor air quality in Southwest Florida. But even with the best ventilation systems and air purifiers, you still need traditional air filters to help remove particulates from the air. Today we’ll look at how to compare and select air filters.

MERV, or “minimum efficiency reporting value,” is a standardized rating system. A filter’s MERV rating describes how efficiently it traps particulates, which are measured in microns. The MERV rating should be displayed clearly on the filter and its packaging.

MERV ratings range from 1 to 20. Filters with a low MERV rating catch only large particulates, while higher rated filters catch even the tiniest impurities. Here’s a general comparison:

• MERV 1 to 4. These catch only larger particles, generally over 10 microns in size, such as carpet fibers or dust mites. They help to protect your HVAC equipment, but they’re not very useful for improving air quality.
• MERV 5 to 8. These filter particles as small as 3 microns, including many pollens and mold spores. Often sufficient for homes without asthma or allergy sufferers.
• MERV 9 to 13. These catch impurities as small as 1 micron, which includes even fine dust, powders and some fumes. This is the ideal range for clean indoor air without restricting airflow through your HVAC system.
• MERV 14 to 16. Rarely used in residential settings, these filters catch even tiny bacteria, down to 0.3 microns. Airflow restriction starts to become a concern here; you might want to talk to a technician before installing.
• MERV 17 to 20. Filters in this range catch just about everything, but they are usually impractical for residential use because of airflow concerns.

Of course, no matter how your filters are rated, they need to be changed regularly.

If you still have questions about air filters or your indoor air quality, we’ll be happy to help. Contact the heating and cooling professionals at Conditioned Air anytime. We’re always glad to help you compare your options.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!   

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

An air conditioning system is only as good as its air filter. Dirty air filters partially block the air flowing through your HVAC system. With less air flowing through, your system has to work harder to cool your home. You’ll see the waste of energy show up on your utility bills. Dirty filters can also contribute to malfunctioning equipment.

Your air filter should be changed at least once every three months. If you’re using your air system frequently, however, the filter might need to be changed as frequently as monthly. If it looks dirty, change it.

Putting in a new air filter is an easy do-it-yourself project, but it can be a hassle if you are unprepared. Some tips:

• Get the correct size. Air filters come in a variety of dimensions. Your system requires an exact fit. Look at your old filter or check your owner’s manual.
• Buy a bundle of air filters. You’ll be changing your air filter more than once. Buy a bunch to save trips to the store later.
• Write in on the calendar. Changing an air filter is a simple job, but only if you remember to do it. Especially during the hottest months, when you use your A/C most, write monthly reminders on your calender.

Changing your air filter is one of the easiest ways to help keep your home energy efficient. If you have any questions about A/C upkeep, please contact the experts at Conditioned Air. We are always happy to help our neighbors in Southwest Florida.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

The air filter is a small but crucial component of your HVAC system. Depending on the type you use, air filters can capture various pollutants in the air, including pet dander and dust, viruses, bacteria and fungi. They help protect your heating and cooling equipment from buildup of airborne debris, and they help keep that debris out of the air you breathe indoors.

The MERV rating system can help you determine which air filter to use. MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is the measure of effectiveness for air filters. The MERV rating takes into consideration how well a filter captures particles of various sizes. The MERV ranges from 1 to 20, with 20 being for filters than can trap the tiniest particles — these filters are used in “clean rooms” used in manufacturing or scientific research. A filter with a MERV rating of 16 is considered safe for a general-surgery room.

Most low-cost furnace filters have MERVs from 1 to 4, while higher quality filters for homes have MERVs from about 9 to 12. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

• Filters with a MERV of 1 to 4 offer medium efficiency on larger airborne particles but low efficiency on small particles. That means they probably don’t capture viruses, bacteria, some mold spores, many pet allergens and some dust mites.
• Filters rated 5 to 13 are reasonably efficient at removing small to large airborne particles.
• Filters rated 14 to 16 are very efficient but shouldn’t be mistaken for HEPA filters, which have MERV values of 17 to 20. True HEPA filters are normally not installed in residential HVAC systems, which are often unable to accommodate such filters.

If you have questions about selecting the best air filter for your home’s heating and cooling system, please contact the experts at Conditioned Air. Serving the Naples and Ft. Myers areas, we’re always glad to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

Indoor air quality is a key factor in maintaining your family’s health, and one of our top priorities here at Conditioned Air, to help you stay well and comfortable in your home. Here are some steps you can take to make sure this happens.

• Use a dehumidifier. Keeping the amount of humidity in your home’s air under control improves the quality of the air you’re breathing. Your friends here at Conditioned Air recommend you keep the relative humidity level somewhere between 30 and 50 percent.
• Keep your air handler functioning properly. Because the air handler of your A/C system is where dehumidification occurs, it’s important to have a professional contractor inspect it on a regular basis.
• Clean or replace your air filters frequently.
• A good quality air filtration system creates not only better levels of air purity, but also superior ventilation.
• UV lights and other state of the art technologies are additional ways to help keep your indoor air quality at optimum levels for good health.

All family members benefit from an A/C system that cleans the air as well as cooling it. Particularly, those who suffer from allergies or respiratory problems will notice a difference when the air is cleaner. But why leave anyone’s health to chance when you can easily control your indoor air quality? Your air filter helps to trap and eliminate such contaminants as bacteria, pet dander, pollen, mold and other pollutants. Conditioned Air offers a variety of systems and components designed to keep you and your family healthy.
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Modern home construction standards prevent drafts and save energy, but the tight construction may make indoor air quality far less healthy than the outside air. Mold, viruses, dust and even odors that are recirculated via your air conditioning system can cause a multitude of health problems.

If you live in Southwest Florida, let the experts here at Conditioned Air help you stay healthy, and cut your energy costs, too.