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This is an in depth guide to Furance Filters. We have split this page up into sections with easy to read headers to help you navigate to the information that you are looking for. We are a local Peachtree City HVAC company that services Fayette & Coweta County.
*If you need furnace repair services in Peachtree City, we would be happy to help!
Just like any other type of filter the furnace filter is used to filter the air that goes into the heating unit that we call a furnace. Furnace filters are removable and come in many various sizes, material, depth, width, etc. The furnace filter is located between the air intake and the furnace itself; meaning the fan, the furnace motor, the furnace heating coil and so forth.
The most common furnace filter is the basic fiberglass filter and this usually comes with most manufactured furnaces. Although this is the most common felt furnace filter it is not the best furnace filter. Many homeowners and business owners decide to go with a longer-lasting furnace filter that does the job better and lasts longer.
There are many different types of furnace filters. Below we have pictures of some of the most common furnace filters and what they look like. The most common filter is the fiberglass filter that is disposable.
Sometimes people look at their furnace filter and think “maybe it can last a little bit longer”. Most of the time this thinking is wrong. Disposable filters should be replaced on a monthly basis. They are not made to last for very long. The longer you go without replacing a dirty filter the harder it will be on your heating system. Below are pictures of dirty furnace filters.
*Check out this page by energystar.gov as they talk about why it is important to change your filter regularly.
The main responsibility of a furnace filter is to filter out dust and other types of particles from entering into the furnace itself. By doing this the furnace filter will actually help the furnace have improved airflow and efficiency which means lower energy bills and higher results for the end-user. If the furnace does not have a filter on it or the filter is too dirty it will cause the furnace to work harder, be less efficient, and break sooner. Furnace filters are probably the easiest part of a furnace to maintain but are one of the most neglected parts of a furnace.
What Is a Furnace Filter Made of?
To best answer this question we have split the types of furnace filters into the five main categories. Each section will talk about the type of furnace filter it is, what it is made of and it’s primary uses.
Disposable Fiberglass Filters
This is by far the most recognized type of furnace filter in the industry. It is 1 inch thick and made of fiberglass. This type of filter should be changed out every month because of its thickness and inability to last longer then that. This filter will remove dust and some other types of air particles. This type of filter is very common in rental units/homes and has a 2-3 MERV rating.
Disposable Pleated Furnace Filters
The main type of material used for this type of furnace filter is polyester and cotton paper. This type of furnace filter will remove small particles like spores. The price of this furnace filter is relatively low but it does need to be changed out often so that it doesn’t get clogged and cause additional work for your furnace system. The pleated furnace filter has a MERV rating of 6. BTW – These filters are also disposable.
Permanent Electrostatic Furnace Filters
This type of furnace filter can filter very small particles that are .3 microns in size. How big is 1 micron? 1 micron is 1/25,000 of an inch. That is really small! The electrostatic furnace filter is made of cotton and paper fibers that are electrostatic self charging. These permanent electrostatic furnace filters do come with removable/washable filter options that can be removed and then re-used for later use. This removable and washable option can last anywhere from five to seven years. This type of furnace filter is more effective than the pleated furnace filters but is often more expensive as well.
8 MERV Rating
Disposable Electrostatic Furnace Filters
Electrostatic furnace filters do come with a disposable option. These type of furnace filters are really good for filtering very small debris and particles. In fact, these type of furnace filters are highly chosen by people who have children, allergy problems, pads, or smoke, often. The disposable electrostatic furnace filters are almost identical to the permanent ones ineffectiveness. They both use a self charging electrostatic material that traps and attracts small particles.
10 MERV Rating
High-Efficiency Pleated Furnace Filters
The high-efficiency pleated furnace filter is by far the most effective furnace filter in the market. These type of filters are used often in hospitals or environments that require a very clean air system. These will help with people who have asthma problems or intense allergy problems.
A high-efficiency pleated furnace filter is made up of pleated cotton that is attached to a metal grid system. These filters are generally 4 to 5 inches thick and often require a special housing to put them in. Due to their high efficiency and design these filters are some the most costly filters on the market.
The MERV Rating for these filters is 14 – 16.
Furnace Filter Ratings
A basic explanation of the furnace filter ratings system
This section is going to explain the two types of ratings among furnace filters. These ratings are known by MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) & MPR (Microparticle Performance Rating). Let us know if you have any further questions about these ratings.
MERV Rating
This furnace filter rating is a universal standard that compares one type of furnace filter against another type of furnace filter. When a specific furnace filter gives a MERV rating it is referring to how successful that furnace filter is at trapping or capturing particles that are between 3 to 10 microns.
This type of furnace rating is important but if you need to capture particles that are smaller than 3 microns then the MERV rating won’t really give you the information you need. The reason for this is because particles that cause allergies or asthma are generally smaller than 3 microns. You may need more of a high-efficiency furnace filter to do this. Having said this a high MERV rating doesn’t mean that it will have a small MPR rating.
Negatives To a High MERV Rating
Bigger isn’t always better and this is definitely true with a high MERV rating. A high MERV rating can reduce the airflow in your HVAC system. So sometimes going with the medium MERV rating and a high MPR is better. There are many furnace filters out there that focus specifically on trapping small particles that cause allergies and asthma. If this is what you need, we highly recommend looking into specialized furnace filters for you.
MPR Rating
The MPR rating is primarily used by 3M. This type of rating measures how effective the furnace filter is at trapping really small particles that are between .3 and 1 micron. The truth is that this size of particle makes up more than 98% of what is in the air. Some examples of particles that are this size are bacteria, smoke, pollen, and other allergens.
Furnace Filter Brands
Just like any type of product there are a lot of brands that sell furnace filters. This section of our page is going to talk about the types of brands or the brands of furnace filters available to you. Each brand offers its own unique type of furnace filter and have advantages and disadvantages.
Lennox Furnace Filters
Lennox sells all types of filters including furnace air filters. Furnace air filters are part of their indoor air quality product line. There air filters range from lower MERV Ratings too high MERV and MPR ratings. Here is a link to their website to learn more. Lennox.com
Bryant Furnace Filters
Bryant is a cooling and heating system company that sells its products. Bryant has been around since 1904. You can read more about the Bryant and its history here.
*Here is a neat comparison chart by Bryant comparing the different types of air filters they offer.
Carrier Furnace Filters
Carrier has been around since the beginning of modern HVAC. In fact, its founder invented modern day air conditioning. Do you know what his name was? If you said Willis Carrier, you are right.
Being the company who started it all Carrier sells furnace filters, HVAC systems, and more.
Goodman Furnace Filters
Goodman hasn’t always been in the manufacturing business of HVAC systems but it has always been in the HVAC business. In 1954 the company began as an HVAC contractor in Houston, Texas. Due to their large success and company vision they started manufacturing flexible air duct and plastic blade registers. Now they are one of the largest manufacturers of HVAC systems.
Trane Furnace Filters
Did you know that Trane is in over 100 different countries? Trane was first started in 1885 as a plumbing company and as a father and son duo it began to grow into a leader in the heating and air industry. The Trane Company was officially incorporated in 1913. Want to learn more about this company? Go here.
Trane sells furnace filters.
Rheem Furnace Filters
Rheem is another American success story that started in the early 1900s. Rheem today sells all over the world and is highly involved in the HVAC industry. You can buy furnace filters and other HVAC system parts and equipment from Rheem. You can visit the rheem.com website for more about them.