Media filters versus one-inch air filters: pros and cons

We’re always talking about the importance of HVAC maintenance and about how one of the most important things you can do to preserve the health of your heating and air conditioning system and your family is frequently changing your air filter. Filters are critical for removing contaminants from the air, which can gum up your system and exacerbate health problems like asthma and allergies. 

For most systems and families, a normal one-inch filter does a fine job at getting rid of those contaminants and keeping people and HVAC systems healthy. But did you know there’s a way to step up your air filtration game? Enter the whole-house media filter.

Cons of one-inch filters

One inch filters are great, and we’re not knocking them, but to fully understand the benefits of a whole-house media filter, we should first outline some of the weaknesses of normal filters.

First off, one inch filters don’t last very long. You really need to stay on top of replacing them every couple months to make sure they’re doing their job adequately.

Second, one inch filters have a tendency to raise static pressure, especially if your looking for filters with high MERV ratings that filter more contaminants. That’s a fancy way of saying that it can be hard for HVAC systems to push air through a one inch filter that would be capable of catching small particles like smoke, for example. That can create unnecessary strain on the system which can reduce efficiency and even cause damage. 

Finally, one-inch filters really can’t do much to remove odors from your air or keep your home smelling fresh.

Media filters to the rescue

As you might have guessed by this point, media filters can solve all of the aforementioned problems with one inch filters and deliver better air quality to your family and better performance to your HVAC system. Media filters:

• Usually last for 6-12 months or so, which means you don’t have to think about maintenance every six to eight weeks.
• Media filters are far thicker than one-inch filters, which allows for greater pleated surface area, which allows for greater filtration performance without restricting airflow the way one-inch filters tend to.
• Often contain some sort of carbon element that allows your HVAC system to filter out odors (for example, from cooking or from pet dander). 

The main drawback is that most systems are not built to handle a four to eight inch media filter and typically need modified or replaced. This is where we can come in!

Call All Hours

If you’re thinking about upgrading your air quality in the Wendell, North Carolina area, call All Hours. We can help you understand what will need to happen to get you in a brand new media filtration system without breaking the bank and without trying to hard sell you anything you don’t need.