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For many allergies sufferers, the coming of cold weather brings in a season of relief from allergy symptoms – but this isn’t the case for all allergy sufferers. If you or a family member is allergic to things like dust, pet dander, mold or mildew, your allergies don’t end with the cold weather, they continue right along. This is why, if you do suffer from indoor allergies, it is very important to keep an upgraded air filter in your home’s HVAC system throughout the winter months.
What Is an Upgraded Air Filter?
The air filter that comes standard with your home’s heating system is not designed to improve indoor air quality. Rather, its purpose is to keep large particles (10 microns or larger) of dust and dirt from infiltrating your system, as well as pieces of debris. As such, you will not get any allergy relief from this kind of filter. Instead, you need a filter that is effective enough to capture the smaller particles that are allergens, which are around 3 microns in size. Upgraded filters are made for this job.
Why are upgraded filters better? Much has to do with the weave of the filter media inside the filter’s frame. The material used for better air filters (those that range from MERV 5-12) is much more tightly woven. The particles try to pass through the weave, and when the weave is very tight, this becomes a difficult process. The tighter weave catches a large number of contaminants.
The second reason an upgraded filter is effective is that many have multiple, small v-folds throughout the fabric. Not only do particles have to try and pass through the tighter weave, they also have to try and pass through multiple v-folds. The result is much cleaner air thanks to better entrapment of the particles.
If you need help selecting and installing an upgraded air filter for your home in Westport, CT, call the experts at Celco Heating and Air Conditioning today!
