Selecting the correct air filter

As a business owner, you understand the need for routine maintenance to protect the equipment you use every day. One of those valuable investments is your HVAC system. When you match your system to a filter that is the correct size to specification, and It seems to fit in well, it’s all set for another year, right? That’s what a lot of people would assume.

But there are four ways to know that you are using the wrong air filter in your HVAC system, and the wrong filter wastes energy and in turn increases utility bills.

1. You hear a “Pop” sound when installing new filter.

If a real effort is needed to remove the old filter, especially if you hear a “popping” sound when you do so, it is a sign that the filter was too dense (for example, too thick). This makes the HVAC system less efficient, which means that it costs more money to operate and can lead to costly repairs.

Also, a filter that is too small will be sucked within the filter holder – and again you can hear a “popping” sound. In a case like this, you need to install a larger filter holder or add a second filter holder. Or if you have a pleated cotton filter that appears arched when you are removing it, that lets you know it was the wrong size.

Depending on the type of HVAC system, you may not be able to add a filter holder. In some cases, all you can do is slide in the new filter. In such cases, you can control the volume of air coming out of your ducts by removing a louver. If you feel a blast of air after removing the screen, then you have the wrong filter. Air flow It should be constant – a gust of air means the filter is too dense.

However, regardless of the exact HVAC system, it cannot be overemphasized that the wrong air filter size will decrease air flow and increase stress on the air handler. This leads to the following:

• Higher utility bills
• Shorter equipment life
• More frequent repairs

2. How to “read” your filter and see if your “salt” is worth it.

If you can read the newspaper through your filter, then you know that it is no dense enough to capture most of the dust and dirt. Another good test is to shake a little salt in the filter. If the salt passes through the filter, then it is not holding dirt and other particles as it should.

This sometimes occurs when using an inexpensive woven filter (they are often blue in color). While it’s inexpensive, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Pleated filters made of cotton, usually 1-inch thick, are recommended for most standard screens as they keep out more contaminants.

Remember that a filter that is not dense enough it’s just as bad as one that’s TOO dense (thick)!

• The coil and lines get dirty due to dust and dirt going through the filter.
• A dirty coil and fan lead to higher power consumption (and higher energy bills).
• The increase in the number of particles and pollen that pass through the filter and are agitated by the HVAC system leads to poor IAQ. And poor IAQ can lead to health problems for Rich, his employees, and his customers!

3. Your air registers are dusty or dirty.

The supply and return vents in your HVAC system are more commonly known as “registers.” Supply registers are the covers for the openings in the walls through which the air conditioning is expelled into your workspace.

The return vents also have manhole covers, except they are connected to the return ducts. When your system is running, it draws the air from the return vents through the ducts and back into the HVAC system. Return vents are typically larger than supply vents, and you usually won’t feel air coming out of them.

If any of the records are not clean (supply or return), this leads to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). The most common reason for this problem is a dirty air filter. With clean registers and a clean filter, you can improve IAQ quickly and easily. This also allows your system to run more efficiently, using less energy and saving you money.

Four. Your workplace is dusty, but it takes more than a month for the air filter to look dirty..

Like the previous point, this is an indication that:

• In fact, your air filter is dirty.
• Your filter is too small or not dense enough.

Summary

In conclusion, indoor air is usually dirtier than outdoor air.. It is imperative that business owners like you have the correct size air filter. Also, it is recommended to keep clean records and replace your system filter at least every three months for most HVAC systems. Considering how much you spent on your system and the cost of running it, a few filters a year are far less expensive than an inefficient and unhealthy system. Well worth it, don’t you think?