Was told that the air filters with a lower MERV rating allow the furnace/air conditioner to get air more easily and makes them run more efficiently.
Said the higher rated filters trap more pollutants (dust, animal dander, etc), but that cuts down on the amount of air which makes the furnace/air conditioner work harder (cost more to run).
Trane Hi Efficiency Furnace(92%) and air conditioner (13 SEER)
better to use the better filters
by not filtering the air, more of this material can penetrate and potentially clog your evaporator/i.e. reduce its efficiency
that being said, no matter what filters you use they should be checked regularly because once dirty will cause the compressor to work harder shortening its life
That is a big fat lie. Aproperly designed hvac system includes a good filtering system. The low merv filters allow the dirt through. The dirt is trapped by the secondary heat exchanger or the air conditioning evaporator. This restricts air flow more than a filter and is expensive to clean. It causes more problems with the hvac units and higher repair bills. For the truth, see the air filters page at http://www.hvac-for-beginners.com
yes that is true.the cheaper the filter the more efficient it is.but here is a word of caution.cheaper is not better!filter are rated in % of microns.the higher the better.the cheap filters are roughly about 6%.you are looking for a range of 50%-96%.there is a 99% called an electrostactic filter.i don’t recommend because this is to high and restricts the air flow.meaning the better the filter the less efficient,i reccommend a bio sponge filter,which is also what i use in my home.it rated at 93%,and is good for dust and alergies.when dealing with filters you have to find a happy median,because you are not going to get the highest efficiency and the highest micro at the same time.how ever when dealing with filters you are dealing with your in door air qaulity,and the money you are trying to save by having a cheap filter is not that noticeable and not worth your health!
heres the real dope…..
if you are referring to the 1″ thick pleated filters that wal mart sells, it is true they restrict air flow. in fact if a person was going to insist on using them i would have to double the filter area.
5″ thick cartridge filters are made so that they dont restrict air flow. they have the same pressure drop as a 1″ glass floss (fiberglass) filter
Trane clean effects
http://www.trane.com/Residential/CleanAir/CleanEffectsDemo.aspx
are great electronic air filters. i install them, and really do believe in them . they are around $1000 installed. Trane also has a 5″ cartridge filter usually about $300 installed.
in short, unless you want to add another filter grill or upgrade to a for real filter, just get the cheap glass floss filters.
Possum, NATE certified installer and service tech