What Does A HVAC Filter Look Like? What Does A HVAC Filter Do?

What Is A HVAC?

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. It is an all-in-one system which heats and cools your home, has air filters, air returns and a heating and cooling unit. There exist many types and sizes of HVACs, all depending on your home and the kind or size you want.

Mainly, there exist 3 types of HVAC systems: split and window AC, packaged heating and cooling systems and central AC systems.

• Split and Window AC. These kind of HVAC systems are usually preferred to be used in large places where the cool air needs to be distributed evenly. This HVAC system separates the cold side from the hot side. The cold side of the HVAC system usually contains a cold coil and an expansion valve. The coil is usually placed inside or near a form of an air handler. The air handler blows air and the cold coil cools it down. This HVAC system then distributes the cooled air to various rooms on a building. Window air conditioners, on the other hand, have fans which blow air through the cooling coils. The heat is completely separated and gets lost outside.
• Packaged Heating and Cooling Systems. This type of HVAC system contains both the cooling and heating units in one single system. A centrifugal fan or an air blower is contained in these systems which blows the air toward the different elements of the system.
• Central AC systems. These systems are usually split. The outdoor unit of the split central AC system contains a compressor, condenser, electrical components and a blower. It also consists of an evaporator coil. The coil is installed on top of the gas furnace. A thermostat regulates the temperature in your house. This is one of the most common form of a HVAC system.

What Does A HVAC Filter Do And How Does It Look Like?

The most overlooked part of your HVAC or cooling systems are the air filters which they use. They usually come in different sizes which fit different HVAC systems in a square or rectangular form. HVAC filters are usually made out of 3 things: spun fibreglass material, pleated paper and cloth enclosed attached to a cardboard frame.

The most basic job of the HVAC filters is to clean the air of contamination. Such filters trap the contaminated particles in the hair and hold them till they are ready to be cleaned. They block particles such as dust and dirt, mold, fibers, animal fur or hair, bacteria, etc. Filtration may be done when air from the outside is passed through the filter which removes the particles and other filth.

However, sometimes the filters in your HVAC system may not be of a higher quality and may, hence, fail in properly trapping those contaminated particles from the air. Higher quality filters often cost a lot more but they are the most efficient in removing such particles.

Get a HVAC filter with a MERV rating. It indicates how efficient a filter is.