Air Filters Delivered asked me to become an affiliate for their home furnace / home air conditioner filters. We only have a furnace at our house because at our high altitude it just doesn't get hot enough in our very short summer to justify having air conditioning. Air Filters Delivered sent some filters to try, and here is our air filter review, after about a month of using one of their MERV 11 filters. Whether you need a good air filter to help deal with allergies or you want one with more oomph during the ongoing pandemic, I hope this info helps.
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New! New! New! Personal Air Purifier
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Air Filter Review Basics
In the process of researching this review of air filters, I learned that MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings come from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Engineers, and it basically means how well an air filter traps airborne particles.
Typical air filters reviewed various places will top out at a rating of 16.
On the other hand, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters rank more like 17-20 MERV and can trap particles down to 0.3 microns. We've been hearing a lot about N95 respirator medical masks that also filter particles down to 0.3 microns. That's why that will likely sound familiar to you. So if you want an air filter for your home that is top of the line, you probably want a HEPA one. (However, we've personally had major issues with HEPA filters in our furnace. Keep reading. More on that below.)
There are a couple of other air filter review and ranking numbers (MPR and FRP), but I'm not going down that rabbit hole now. You can jump over to their site to see how the various rankings compare.
Our Review of a MERV 11 Filter from Air Filters Delivered
According to Air Filters Delivered, MERV 11 filters grab things that make my life miserable, especially during peak allergy season, which is just getting started in Colorado, including:
- Pet Dander >>> so much more hair and dander now that we have 3 canine heroines / heroes in the house
- Smoke
- Smog
- Dust Mites
- Mold Spores
- Lint
- Household Dust
- Pollen
The ones they sent us for free would retail for $8.35 each (if you order 4 at a time). That drops to $6.93 each, if you ordered a whole year's worth at once. It's recommended that you swap out your air filter once a month, for normal household use.
If you want a MERV 13 filter (costing more like $10.50 in a 4-pack) for even better protection from allergens or asthma triggers, then you'll be happy to know that MERV 13 filters also trap:
- Bacteria
- Virus Carriers
Considering the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, maybe getting the better filter is a good idea.
Either way, we've been happy with how the MERV 11 filters are working in our furnace. (More snow coming this weekend. No kidding! Photo below from April 3, 2020.)
More On Our Issue with HEPA Filters With Higher MERV Ratings
We've had issues with other furnace filters restricting air-flow too much and causing our furnace to overheat and shut itself off before reaching the desired temperature, which really sucks in the dead of the Colorado winter ... especially after spending SO much on a new furnace not that long ago. For us, it isn't worth the risk of a fire or the risk to the longevity of our furnace, so we're happy to have filters that work without damaging anything on our home.
These MERV 11 filters from Air Filters Delivered work MUCH better for us. No furnace issues at all. Yay!
So, if you would like to order some filters like what we've been using, please use the ad below or any of the other ad images or links in this post as a starting point so that we get credit for anything you purchase. Thanks so much!
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