Media Filter vs. Standard Filter
What is the difference between a media air filter and a standard air filter?
In short, size and effectiveness. A media air cleaner is essentially a cabinet that is fitted in the return air duct of HVAC systems that use forced air. They improve air quality by filtering the air. Standard filters are an inch thick and do little to improve air quality. They merely protect the equipment. As such, media air cleaners are four to five inches thick while the standard air filter is an inch. The thicker filter allows for more and better air filtration
New Albany Heating & Cooling offers indoor air quality solutions from top band names with products like the Honeywell Whole House Air Cleaner and the Aprilaire Air Purification System, to name a couple.
Benefits of Air Filters
The benefits of air filters are numerous, as they help to keep the air in our homes and businesses clean and free from allergens, dust, bacteria, mold, smoke, and other airborne pollutants. Air filters trap these particles on their surfaces before they can enter our living spaces. This helps to ensure that the air we breathe is safe and pure.
Energy savings
Who wouldn’t want to save money every year when it comes to their heating and air conditioning costs? Media filters allow homeowners to do just that by keeping their HVAC equipment clean. Although it doesn’t cost as much as a portable air purifier or electronic air purifier, the air quality improvements increase your HVAC’s overall efficiency and helps keep utility costs in check.
Removal of air pollution
Installed into your residential heating and air conditioning system, media air cleaners continuously trap and extract particles, pollution and indoor allergens that often cause a wide range of respiratory issues and other health problems when left free. By removing this stuff from your air supply, as an added bonus, it also helps reduce dust which makes cleaning needs less frequent. Having less in your home will make the place look and feel cleaner.
Reduces need for maintenance
Air filters using this type of high-performance accordion air filter need replaced a minimum of once per year. To start, we recommend checking your air filters every once every six months for replacement, and then depending on the factors that contribute to your home’s dust accumulation your air filters might only need to be replaced once each year.
Protects Your HVAC system
You can maximize the lifespan of your HVAC equipment by using a media filter, which will help keep your HVAC systems’ indoor coil clean. This makes equipment last longer as well. Whole Home Air Cleaners are thicker and have a much larger surface area to capture, trap and remove more dirt and dust then standard air filters.
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How to Change an Media Air Filter
Media air filters come with the media filter already in it. However, eventually, you’ll have to replace it. Below we include a few simple steps for replacement. This short video also explains the process.
Step 1
Remove the media filter frame box from your HVAC. However, before doing this, make sure you turn off all power to your heating or cooling unit. Doing so is safe and also makes sure that you don’t get particles or dust in the system if it were to kick on while you were replacing the media.
Step 2
Look for the four tabs on the filter frame box. Switch these to open up, permitting the sides of the frame to go down. This will give you access to the media for removal. From there, the old media easily comes out and can be thrown away.Due to their design, these are much easier to get rid of because they aren’t as bulky, and you can fold them up and throw them away.
Step 3
Uncoil the new media so you can insert it into the filter frame. The end of the new media with cardboard should fit snugly into the first channel on the filter frame. Matching the old media, place one fold per base on the filter frame box. After this, there are only two accordion filters that fit several different frames. Because of this, you might have more folds than you do channels. If you do, it’s not a problem. If you have extras, you can bunch up any extra folds into one channel. It’ll still work fine.
Step 4
After you have inserted all the folds, lift the sides of the box so you’re able to reattach to the new media. Flip the tabs back in place to secure the media. When this is done, you’ve successfully replaced your media!
General Media Air Filter FAQ
If you’re concerned about your home’s air quality and you’re still using the standard one-inch HVAC filter, it’s not giving you enough protection. To create a healthier living space for yourself and your family, upgrading to media filters is a must! Media filters are capable of doing the job. They remove everything from allergens like dust mites to airborne viruses and more. They are pleated pieces of material proven to be far more effective than traditional HVAC systems. New Albany Heating & Cooling can help guide you towards making this important decision so that your house becomes an oasis free from pollutants.
If you’re interested in hearing more about this to improve your air quality and make your air filters last longer while providing a healthy breathing environment for everyone in your home, we suggest you consider upgrading to a media air filter. Call New Albany Heating & Cooling today!