I am often asked “What are the best kind of air filters to use for the air conditioning system?” While there are many different types available, a simple good quality filter is always the best choice. Many years ago, the most widely used filter was simply the fiberglass type, but today the most common is the pleated type filters as they are more efficient than the basic fiberglass type. I’ve discovered a new option that’s even better.
New construction and more recently constructed homes utilize media filters. This is a big filter that is placed on the backside of the furnace fan system and effectively filters everything from the house and only requires changing every six months. This type is a luxury for many people, because until you purchase a new system you probably are not going to the expense to put a media filter in. If you do replace your current system, I would recommend using a media filter as they really keep your system clean, especially when additional return air vents are increased – sometimes as many as 7 or 8 smaller return air vents throughout the house instead of the typical one.
If you have a home, and would like to utilize the media filter technology without having to go through a retrofit on the system, consider a return air media filter, available online for direct delivery to your home.
This media filter actually fits in behind the grill in the return air in the space where the basic one inch filter fits. If you have enough room in the cavity behind the grill, you can now place this type media filter in and only replace every six months. This might be a solution to have a media filter, without the cost of a retrofit or an entire replacement of the air conditioning system.
This filter is deep and has so much surface area; the air flow is not restricted like some of the more permanent air filters. You may remember the washable filters that were available years ago; those have or should have gone by the wayside because they were not the best for your system as they had a problem with restricting the air flow when they got dirty and could not be cleaned adequately.
This media filter has a very large surface area, allowing all the air flow you need to go through behind the grill, and also because of the surface area it will last a lot longer, and is a very high quality filter.
