Can your HVAC system's filter remove
contagious viral particles from the indoor air? If you're not sure
how much of an impact your air filter has on the safety of your
home's interior space, take a look at the top filtration questions
answered.
What Do Air Filters Really Do?
The air filter is an integral part of
your home's HVAC system. Your central AC or heater's filter traps
dirt, dust, debris, and other particles. This stops the particles
from circulating through the system and back into your home.
The goal of the filtration system is to
increase indoor air quality and reduce damage to your HVAC system.
While most filters stop larger particles, such as dirt and pet fur,
they won't necessarily catch smallersized or microscopic pollutants.
What Size Particles Do Filters Stop?
If the filter stops some, but not all,
particles, what can you expect your HVAC system to catch? There's no
universal answer to this question - especially when you want to know
more about viral contaminants in the home.
The MERV (minimum efficiency reporting
value) provides information on the filter's ability to trap particles
of different sizes. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller-sized
particles the filter traps. This allows you to compare different
filters and make the right choice for your home and your family.
MERV ratings range from 1 through 16.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a MERV
rating of 16 means the filter can trap at least 75 percent of
particles sizes 0.3 to 1.0 (in microns). A HEPA filter (MERV 17-plus)
is able to more efficiently remove smaller particles. These filters
may (in theory) remove over 99 percent of 0.3 micron-sized particles,
according to the EPA.
Can a High-MERV Rated Filter Remove
Viral Particles From the Air?
Before your dig deep into whether an
air filter can stop the spread of disease, you need to understand the
modes of viral transmission. Most respiratory viruses go from the
infected person's respiratory tract into the surrounding air via a
cough or sneeze. Some viral particles are also transmitted from
person to surface to person.
An air filter won't help with this type
of surface transmission. But it's possible a high-quality filter
could trap viral particles expelled into the indoor air (from coughs
and sneezes) and stop them from recirculating around the interior
space.
Theoretically, a HEPA filter or the
highest MERV rated filter, could remove microorganisms from the air.
But this ability is under perfect conditions. While some commercial
air filters may remove extremely fine particles, a residential HVAC
system isn't likely to clean the air of viral contaminants. This
means your HVAC system isn't likely to keep your home virus-free or
reduce the rate of contamination.
Should You Use an Air Filter If It
Doesn't Stop Every Microorganism?
If the filter probably won't stop the
spread of every viral disease, should you skip this HVAC component?
Even though your HVAC system won't sanitize the indoor air, it will
still reduce some pollutants and allergens. This ability improves the
overall indoor air quality.
Not only should you continue to use an
air filter, but you should also regularly change or clean it. This
helps your home's ventilation system to perform at peak efficiency
and can increase the filters ability to stop particles. A dirty or
clogged filter won't continue to trap dust, debris, pollen, pet fur,
or smaller particles.
Does your home's ventilation system
filter indoor pollutants the way it should? Contact Action
Plumbing & Heating Maintenance
for more information on how to
improve your HVAC system's efficiency or what filter to use in your
home.
