Filter Facts

Making the Best Furnace Filter Choice

Whether your maintenance needs are home, commercial or industrial, Global Filter Source offers the filtration expertise and extensive furnace and air conditioner filter inventory to keep your heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems operating at optimum efficiency. Installation of high-quality air filters is perhaps the single most effective strategy for improving indoor air quality and minimizing operation costs.

Air filters work to keep the coils and heat exchangers on your furnace and air conditioner clean, which helps the HVAC system to work most efficiently, as well as prolonging the life of the AC unit.

The best furnace filters also help to remove particulate from indoor air that can plague allergy sufferers (dusts, allergens, pet dander, mites, bacteria, mildew, mold and more). Different environments have different filtration requirements — homes and offices place varying demands; the presence of pets and level of traffic are also factors to consider. If asthma or allergy sufferers spend time in the home or office, removing allergens from the air stream is even more important. Electronic equipment and computers can be sensitive to dust. New, tighter construction presents different challenges than older buildings.

Furnace filters, air conditioner filters and air purifier filters come in a wide variety of media and price points. There are fiberglass, cotton, synthetic fibers like polypropylene, pleated, non-woven, electrostatic charged metals, just to name a few. Each has its own filtration characteristics, costs and filter life. Antimicrobial filtration material inhibits the growth of bacteria, mildew, mold and fungi on the filter itself. Deciding on the best air filters for your HVAC involves a balanced consideration of all of the factors of your individual circumstances.

The array of options available can be confusing. Let our experienced filter technicians help you determine the replacement furnace filters that are best suited to your specific needs. And we'll get you set on a filter-changing schedule that will maximize your system's efficiency.

Hidden Hazards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that pollution inside your home or office is typically five times worse than outside air. The air in your home or office is probably streaming with tiny particles — most one micron and smaller in size (a human hair is about 45 microns in diameter). This microscopic particulate is made up of pollen, pet dander, mold spores, bacteria, viruses, dusts, smoke and more. Dirty air can have adverse health effects, particularly to the upper respiratory tract, and especially for allergy sufferers. It can also mean a dirtier, dustier home or office, with particles settling on surfaces and embedding in furniture and carpeting. Furnace, air conditioner, HVAC systems can't operate at optimum efficiency when clogged filters prevent free airflow. And this can also negatively impact the longevity and efficiency of costly heating and air conditioning systems.