 "I'm religious about changing my AllergyZone furnace filters every month," says Cade McDonald, long-time allergy sufferer and founder of achoo! ALLERGY. "It helps me breathe and sleep better. It's really the only systematic way to clean all the air in your home. HEPA air purifiers are more efficient, but they can only clean the air in one room at a time."
If your home has a boiler and radiators, then you probably don't have to worry about changing furnace filters - because there's no place to put them. However, most modern Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems have a slot for an air filter. Changing these filters frequently is the easiest, most cost-effective way to improve the air quality in your home.
Why You Must Change Your Furnace Filter on Time
It can be easy to forget to change your furnace filter on time. Often, the furnace filter is out of view and therefore out of mind. If you live in an apartment, you may not even know where your HVAC filter is located. If that's the case, find it now! Call your leasing office and ask if necessary. Furnace filters play a key role in maintaining healthy indoor air quality.
 If you have allergies, you need a High Efficiency Furnace Filter to capture allergens like dust, pollen, and mold. You must change the filter often to prevent a build-up of particles. Mold and bacteria can grow on filters if they're not changed frequently.
Changing your filter on time also saves you money. Over time, dust and other particles clog the filter, and the HVAC system has to work harder to push the air through the filter. Frequent filter changes will reduce stress on the motor, save you money on your power bill, and increase the lifespan of your HVAC system.
Standard Furnace Filters vs. High Efficiency Furnace Filters
Inexpensive, fiberglass filters remove only large airborne particles that could damage the HVAC system. If you want to remove smaller allergens from your air supply, then you need a High Efficiency Furnace Filter. High efficiency filters remove allergens like pollen, mold, pet dander, and dust.
 AllergyZone Furnace Filters have the highest MERV rating available. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Report Value, and it reports a filter's ability to capture allergen-sized particles. The higher the MERV rating, the better the filter is at capturing allergens.
It's no surprise that AllergyZone Furnace Filters offer the highest MERV rating, as the company was founded by a practicing allergist. With their patented, pleated design, AllergyZone Furnace Filters trap over 90% of allergens. We recommend changing the disposable AllergyZone filters once a month during the warmer months, and at least once every three months during the winter. We also recommend ordering in bulk to save money on shipping.
Many people prefer permanent furnace filters like Newtron Contractor's Choice Permanent Air Filters. These permanent filters have very low air flow resistance, which increases the efficiency of your HVAC system. When it's time to clean the filters, simply remove them, take them outdoors, and squirt them off with a hose. The Contractor's Choice electrostatic filters are not as good as the AllergyZone filters when it comes to eliminating allergens, but they offer superb air filtration and feature an antimicrobial agent that prevents the build-up of germs, bacteria, mold, and mildew. New Contractor's Choice Permanent Air Filters come with a 10-year warranty.
Newtron Original Permanent Air Filters offer better air filtration than the Contractor's Choice filters. Newtron Original filters remove approximately 96.3% of all particles smaller than 80 microns, including dust, bacteria, pollen, mold, dust mite allergen, and pet dander. They also feature the same antimicrobial agent and 10-year warranty.
 For enhanced air filtration, use the electrostatically charged Web Vent Filters. They fit right over vents to reduce the dust in your home, and they remain effective for 90 days
How to Change Your Furnace Filter
- Turn off the power to the furnace fan at the main circuit breaker. Always be safe!
- Find your current furnace filter and remove it. It should be behind a panel that either slides off or unscrews.
- If you don't already know the size of the filter, write down the dimensions (if they're printed on it), or measure the filter.
- Immediately put your old filter in a garbage bag and get it out of the house to prevent the spread of allergens and germs.
- Before installing the new filter, look for the arrows that tell you which way to position the filter. If you put the filter in backwards, it can decrease its efficiency.
- Slide the new filter into place and put the panel back in place.
- Turn the power back on, smile, and take a deep breath of clean air!
Originally published in the
September 2007 issue of
Allergy Consumer Report.
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