Derek Cole explains how HVAC air filters work and why they matter for your AC system. A clogged filter makes your unit work harder, wastes energy, and shortens its lifespan. MERV ratings tell you what size particles a filter catches, and choosing the right one balances air quality with airflow.
Home and Life Comfort with Derek Cole. Hey, folks, and welcome back to the Home and Life Comfort podcast. I'm Derek Cole and today we're talking about something that's been on my mind lately. It's hot. It's been hot. It's been brutally hot. Your air conditioner has been running a marathon non stop trying to keep your home comfortable. And the question I want to ask you is this. Can it still breathe? Can it still breathe? Because here's the truth. Most people don't realize their air filter in their HVC system is their oxygen. Okay? It's it can't breathe, it can't run, or worse is going to collapse under the pressure. Now let's start with the basics. Your HVC system pulls air in through the return vin, sends it through the system to be cooled or heated, and pushes it back out in the hole. Now the first step is there, coming in, that is where the filter is. First line defense. Is that air coming through your system? That's where the filter is. The mission is critical. It keeps dust, debris, pet dander, allergens, you name, keeps all that stuff out, out of your system. But it also affects how much air can actually pull into your system. So it's a give and take. It's gonna be good enough to, it's got to be good enough to stop the bad stuff, but it's also got to let the air through. So it's also got to let the air in, but not the bad air. And that makes sense. So what happens is over time, that filter gets clogged. It's either too thick for the system to handle too thick, or it. Look what they call loading. It loads up with those particles that's stopping and it gets clogged. Either way, it's a bad thing because your HVC system starts choking. It starts struggling to move air. Your energy bills go up, your system runs longer than it should, and eventually something breaks. Something breaks. So let's talk about the filter, something I love talking about. They're all, they get these MERV ratings. Now a MERV rating is a minimum energy, I'm sorry, minimum Efficiency Reporting value. That's right, MERV for short. Minimum Efficiency Reporting value. So basically it tells you how well the filter traps those particles coming in. So, so the higher the MERV number, the higher the merv, the better the filter. Sounds good, right? Sounds simple enough. But wait, there's more. Here's where people will get tripped up. If it goes, if that number is too high, like a MERV, maybe 16 or 15 or something like in the high tide teens like that you could actually block airflow altogether. Unless your system was built to handle that kind of restriction. Most are not. That's why basically, basically when you get over MERV 13, you get into air cleaning. That's a much better option than getting a better or a higher MERV filter at that point. Because once you leave 13, you're really starting to block airflow, which is a problem. So most homes MERV 8 to 13, that's where you want to be if you're going to do a filter perv8 at least to MERV13 at the most. But then when you look at 14, 15, 16, really need to start looking at air cleaning. Need to start looking at something like our micro power guard that goes in the filter grill. But it's, it's got power to it, it's, you know, charged. That way it doesn't block airflow but still gets the particles. But if you got pits and allergies or someone even a home with, in the home with asthma, you know, you need to go as high as you can, but don't go off the charge. Don't get above MERV 13. That's how your system gets overworked. Your filter gets clogged, it can't breathe. I've been doing H vac for over 20 years and I still see this all the time. People go to the extremes. Either they buy the cheapest filter that you know is kitchen sandwich bags and meatballs, that's all it's catching. Or they buy the most fancy hospital grade Mac daddy filter which is then stopping up airflow. Don't do that. You want to buy the right filter, change it on time, check it every 30 days, right? Change it on time, make sure it fits in the slot. If you're not sure what to buy, ask a tech or reach out. That's what we're here for. That's what we're here for. Now if you're really serious about indoor air quality, there are better options than just a basic filter. We recommend things like our micropower guard powered air cleaner that uses electronic charge again to attract and trap particles. Gives you that high end filtration, but it doesn't suffocate your system. And the really cool thing, it doesn't just clean the air better. It also helps your system breathe easier because it does a better job and that good airflow come through and stopping the bad stuff. So before your AC throws in the towel this summer it's been hot, it's been running a marathon. It's important to check your filter. Replace it if it's dirty, make sure it's the right kind. And remember, your system cannot run a marathon without oxygen. That is basically what you're doing with the dirty air filter. If you're local to us here at Simmons, one hour, give us a call. We'll make sure you have the right filter for your system. Even we even have an auto delivery service so you never have to think about it again. Get it every month, once a month, every six months, get a box. Once a year, get a box of 12. Whatever fits you. We can make it work so you never have to go down the aisles of the big box store trying to figure out which filter you need, which filter you should give. I need to stop by Walmart, need to stop by Lowe's. I need to stop by Home Depot because I keep forgetting my filter. No, have it auto delivered right to your front door. Because your comfort matters and your system deserves a fighting chance. Especially in this heat. It deserves a fighting chance. That's it for today's episode of the Home and Life Comfort Podcast. If you found this helpful, leave a review, share with a friend and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. I'm Derek Cole. Thanks for listening. Until next time, your friend in comfort and energy savings, Derek Cole. Home and Life Comfort with Derek Cole.
