How to Choose an air filter for your furnace

Using the air filter thats right for your application can greatly improve the quality of your indoor air.

Things You'll Need

• Your filter size
• To know what you are filtering

Instructions

1. First you'll need to know the size of your filter. Usually the size is written on the outside of the furnace or ductwork by the furnace. Otherwise take your filter out and note the size.

2. Now you need to decide what you are trying to filter. The following steps will help you.

3. If you are concerned with; pet hair, dust particles, mold spores, dust mites, or carpet fiber, then a MERV filter rating of 8 will be the right filter for your house. You can always get a filter with a higher MERV rating but as the MERV rating goes up so does the price.

4. 

   If you would like to filter fine particulate and allergens such as smoke, fine powders, humidifier dust, or copier toner you'll want to jump up to a filter with a MERV rating of 12 or 14.

5. If you're a smoker and would like to filter that smoke you'll need a filter with a MERV rating of 16. This filter will also filter bacteria.

6. 

   If you're looking for the cheapest, least effective filter, you can get a fiberglass filter. A fiberglass filter will need to be changed about 3 times more often than a pleated filter.

7. Most filters have the MERV rating somewhere on the filter packaging. If the MERV rating is not listed you can assume the MERV rating is under 8. Choose wisely.

Tips & Warnings

• Air filter are usually readily available at local hardware stores, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Menards...

Resources

• Additional MERV Info.