Guide To Choosing Best Air Filter For Dust Control

Keeping a healthy and clean indoor environment is important in this modern world, especially when we spend time in our homes. Dust control is crucial because it can cause health issues and discomfort. A high-quality air filter is an effective way to tackle the problem of dust in your home. But the problem is that with so many options available on the market, how will you choose an air filter for dust that suits you best? The air filters are specially designed to remove dust, dirt, and other air pollutants from your home.

So if an individual wants to have dust control in their home, they should definitely consider buying an air filter. Knowing this, you understand enough that you need a filter, but making a good decision is crucial because if you choose a filter that doesn't suit your needs, you will waste your hard-earned money. You might start worrying! Well, don’t worry about that because you are about to get answers to all your queries in this blog.

Understanding Dust And Its Impact

Before getting an air filter, you must know dust. Dust is made up of small particles of solid substances. These small particles are present in our atmosphere. Dust in your home is mostly 20–50% made up of dead skin cells, so remember that you also contribute to the dust in your house. The rest of the dust comes from outside your home. Many air pollutants enter your house through open channels like windows, doors, chimneys, etc. Pet dander and leftover food can also contribute to the dust in your house.

Dust also contains harmful chemicals that can cause cancer, reproductive, and immune system-related health issues, among other diseases. It also contains many microplastics that come from your clothes, carpets, furniture, and other accessories that have plastic. The burning of bushes and trees also causes dust that goes directly into our atmosphere. Causes of dust increase can be many things, like pert dander, high pollution in the environment, etc. So by learning about dust, you will now be eager to get an air filter because of the harmful elements that dust has.

Types Of Air Filters For Dust Control

There are lots of types of air filters available on the market. Before buying a filter, you should always specify your needs first, because when you make a purchase, the product you buy fulfills your needs. Every type of air filter can remove air pollutants, but you want to know which type of filter is best. In this section, you will learn about some of the best types of air filters that are very effective in removing dust from your home.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters

This is a type of pleated mechanical filter made of a mat of randomly arranged fibers. These fibers are made of polypropylene or fiberglass. These kinds of filters are very effective in removing dust, bacteria, pollen, and other airborne particles. HEPA filters can theoretically remove up to 99.97 percent of dust from the air in your house and workplace. It captures particles with a size of 0.3 microns effectively. So if you have a budget, then selecting a HEPA filter for your home is one of the best solutions for dust. HEPA filters are the best choice for those who have health issues like asthma because of the power of the air. They help individuals prevent diseases related to dust particles.

Electrostatic Filters

Electrostatic filters are air filters that use static electricity to attract airborne particles. These filters are also known as electronic air filters because they use static electricity. The electrostatic filters have a MERV rating, which shows the efficiency of this filter in providing clean air to its users. The plus point of these filters is that they are cost-effective. After buying an electrostatic filter, you just need to wash it, compared to other filters that need to be replaced over a particular period of time. Another benefit of this type of filter is that it fits most HVAC systems, and last but not least, it is capable of maintaining full airflow.

Activated Carbon Filters

Activated carbon filters are one of the most commonly used filters in houses. It uses a bed of activated charcoal for the filtration process. For tackling the problem of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), these filters are usually used. It captures dust and air pollutants with the help of a process called adsorption, which means that airborne particles stick to the surface of the carbon. These filters can also help you remove odors and make your house smell-free. The life of activated carbon filters has a huge life span, which means you don’t have to worry about replacing them more frequently, and this saves your time and money.

UV Light Filters

UV-light air filters are those filters that use UV-C light (short-wave ultraviolet light) to fight with bacteria, mold, bacteria, and other types of airborne pathogens and microorganisms. It captures air particles and passes them through the filter, where they are exposed to UV light. Because of this process, microorganisms that are harmful to you die, and you get clean and safe air to breathe. The process of filtration by UV light filters makes them different compared to the other air filters for dust control. Pairing these filters with others will provide more effective air filtration. These filters are very useful in workplaces where a strenuous environment is necessary.

Ionic Air Purifiers

Air ionizers, also known as ionic air purifiers, use charged ions for the purification of your house. Its purpose is to remove airborne particles from the air by charging them. Because of this, small particles attract each other, and then they land on the surface of your home, where you can clean them very easily. It helps to remove bacteria, mold, and viruses that can harm you. These filters helped a lot of people during the COVID-19 pandemics because they also removed SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that caused COVID-19).

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing an Air Filter for Dust Control

After knowing the information provided in the above section, you understand the importance of air filters for dust control in today's world. But there are some important things to consider before buying a filter, and don’t worry about this. In this section, you will learn all the information needed to select a filter that suits you best.

1. MERV Rating

MERV means minimum efficiency reporting value rating. This is a rating system of air flyers that  helps a person indicate the effectiveness of the filter in removing dust and other airborne particles. These ratings start from 1 to 16, and as the number goes up, the effectiveness of the filter increases. But this does not mean that you should always consider buying a high-rated air filter for dust control. Before buying a filter, you should always check your HVAC system's manufacturer’s recommended MERV rating. Because if you buy a filter without checking, this will cause low air filtration efficiency.

2. Filter Size

In the journey of finding an air filter that suits you best, considering the filter size is very important because if a filter is not able to fit properly, the process of filtration will not execute properly. The small size of the filters may cause dust to circulate through your system, which will cause low indoor air quality. Meanwhile, large filters can leave gaps, which will allow particles to enter sensitive components of your system. This will lead to dusty indoor air, and you don't want this to happen. So before selecting any filter, you must read the manual for your HVAC system. If you are unable to find the size of your system in the manual, look at your existing air filter to know the size.

3. Filter Material

Before choosing an air filter for dust control, you should consider the material that is used for the filter. Different materials have different advantages and effects on the filtration of air in your house. Understanding the materials can help you a lot when selecting a filter. Fiberglass filters are one of the most affordable filters available on the market. These filters are an excellent choice for capturing dust and pet dander while maintaining good airflow. Activated carbon filters are very effective because they activate charcoal for filtering and capture a lot of bacteria that can harm you, but they are more costly. Plastic is a very reliable material for air filters because they are able to clear impurities from the air in your house and are long-lasting, affordable, and eco-friendly.

4. Airflow Resistance

In simple terms, airflow resistance means the amount of resistance faced by air while passing through the filter. You should consider this because high resistance causes the filter to work harder, which ends up using a lot of energy that you will expect to see in your electric bills. So choosing a filter with a MERV rating less than 8 will save you from this issue. Thats why people should choose an air filter for dust control wisely because no one wants to buy something that is disadvantageous to their life and pocket.

5. Cost

Choosing an air filter can be very confusing. When you are looking for a budget-friendly filter, the question will come up in your mind: should you choose an affordable filter or an expensive one? Relax! It's very simple. If you want a filter that is not long-lasting but can do the work well enough, you should go for an affordable filter; you just need to change it from time to time. For individuals who don't care about budgets and want a highly effective filter, they should go for an expensive filter like the HEPA filter.

How To Install And Maintain Your Air Filter For Dust Control

Selecting the right air filter for you is important, but after buying a filter, keeping it maintained is more crucial if you want to have clean air indoors. This will provide you with an air filter that is long-lasting, efficient in dust control, and saves you money. Maintenance of your air filter is quite easy, and in this section, you are going to learn about this.

• Check and Replace Filters Regularly

You should always check your air filter between 30 and 90 days, and if you find out that it needs replacement, then do it. Changing your air filter on a regular basis can have many benefits. With time, filters can become clogged because of grime and germs, so replacing filters regularly helps to remove airborne particles like dust, dirt, and pollen. This also helps increase the life of your HVAC system due to the clean filter that helps our system run smoothly. It prevents any unnecessary damage to your system, and that helps you save some extra money.

• Clean Washable Filters

Washable air filters are game-changers because they are effective in filtering the air in your home, but you also don't need any replacements for them. These filters come with many advantages, like their cost effectiveness, longevity, eco-friendliness, and many more. Washable filters are very easy to maintain; you don't need to become a rocket scientist for this task. First, you need to remove the filter. Before that, don't forget to turn off your HVAC system. After this, take your filter outside of your house and wash it with the help of a garden hose (water spray). Apply a filter cleaner to it, rinse thoroughly, and then spray some filter deodorizer that will help you remove any odors. After all of these steps, dry your filter and reinstall it.

• Inspect For Damage

Regular use of an air filter without any maintenance can lead to poor air filtration and damage to your filter. So knowing the signs that show your filter needs maintenance will help you prevent any unnecessary issues that will cost you money. For inspection, you can find a white sheet near your HVAC system. If the sheets turn gray within an hour, that means you need to clean or change your filter. A sudden increase in your electric bill also indicates that there is a problem with your air filter that needs to be solved.

• Monitor Airflow

You should monitor your HVAC system's airflow because when your air filter is full of dust, dirt, pollen, etc., it clogs the filter, and this issue prevents air from passing through your HVAC system. Checking the temperature of the air in your home can help you notice whether your filter needs maintenance or not. By fixing this issue, you can have dust-free air to breathe in your home.

Additional Tips for Reducing Dust in Your Home

After knowing all of the information in the above section, you are now able to select an air filter for dust control that suits you best and how to keep it maintained. But there are some golden tips for you that can help you get clean, dust-free air in your home. If you follow these tips perfectly, your home will become a lot cleaner. Here are the tips:

Regular Cleaning

Cleaning your home can provide a lot of advantages that make it dust-free. Regular cleaning provides assistance to your air filter to maintain high-quality indoor air. An unclean home generates a lot of dust, which contributes to the airborne particles that are present in the air. Your air filter needs to work more when there is a huge amount of dust, and this will cause your filter to get clogged. Because of this, you will need to change the filter more frequently, and this is not good for your budget.

Use Doormats

The use of doormats can contribute a lot to keeping your home dust-free. When someone enters your house, they bring dirt and dust with them in the form of their shoes. Dust sticks in your shoes when you or anyone else goes outside of their house. So putting doormats inside and outside of your house will provide double protection to prevent dust from entering your home.

Control Humidity

Keeping the humidity low in your house can provide advantages like decreasing the amount of dust in your house and creating an environment in your house where dust mites can’t live and reproduce. Most indoors have humidity above 60%; because of that, dust increases, and this helps mites increase their numbers. Using a dehumidifier will help you keep the humidity level in your house between 20 and 40%. This will provide assistance to your filter for dust control.

Conclusion

Understanding dust and purchasing an air filter to control it is very important in today’s world. As you know, the increase in urbanization and the changing climate are causing dust to increase. These small particles can affect our health. However, a high-quality air filter can capture all of this harmful dust, and there are many types of air filters available on the market according to the needs of every individual. This is the reason you should invest in a good, high-quality air filter, so you can protect yourself and your family from dust and keep your home’s air clean.

Here at Custom Filters Direct, we provide filters according to your needs for filtration. It will be our pleasure to help people who need to find an air filter that helps them breathe clean air into their houses. For more details, contact us at (877) 812-7983.

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