Standard Air Filters vs. Media Filter
The main difference between the standard air filter and a media filter is the product’s size and effectiveness. Media air cleaners get installed inside the HVAC system as a cabinet. Our air quality professionals place them inside the return air duct of a forced-air HVAC system. Media air filters improve your indoor air quality by filtering air pollution. The standard air filter is only about an inch thick and, as we have said, they do nothing to improve indoor air quality. Standard air filters only protect HVAC equipment; they don’t do anything else. Media air cleaners, on the other hand, are only about five inches thick. Standard air filters are just one inch thick. These thicker air filters provide homeowners with superior air filtration.
We at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air offer homeowners the best indoor air quality solutions from all the best, top brand name manufacturers, including major names like the Honeywell Whole House Air Cleaner, and the Cleanair and Aprilaire Air Purification Systems, among others.
Benefits Of Media Air Filter Installation
Homeowners who install a new media air filter enjoy all sorts of benefits. Our all-around air quality control experts here at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air list several of those benefits in the following:
Lower Heating & Cooling Bills
Looking to save on your heating and air conditioning bills? Who doesn’t like saving money on utility costs? Media air filters enable homeowners to save money on heating and air conditioning in addition to improving overall indoor air quality levels. Media filters also keep HVAC systems much cleaner at a cost that’s less than portable air purification, electronic air purifiers or any other air purification product on the market. The overall air quality upgrade helps increase your HVAC system’s efficiency and reduce utility costs.
Media Filters Last Longer
We at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air suggest replacing these high-performance accordion air filters at least one time each year. However, air filters need to be checked at least once every six months for additional air filter replacement needs. Depending on several factors that contribute to air pollution and dust accumulation in the home, these air filters should only be changed once every year.
They Protect HVAC Equipment
Media cabinets are an excellent way to protect your HVAC equipment and preserve its function. Anything you’re able to do to make their HVAC equipment last longer can be a tremendous money saver. Heating and air conditioning units are expensive to replace and if you have to replace them prematurely or make repairs due to excess wear and tear, it’s going to cost you. Media air filters help homeowners prolong the lifespan of their HVAC equipment. They also keep the HVAC unit’s indoor coil cleaner. Because our Whole-Home Air Cleaners are thicker and have a larger surface area for filtering out dust and dirt, your HVAC system also benefits in the long run.
Air Filters & Remove Household Air Pollution
Having a media cabinet working inside your HVAC unit enables you to remove all sorts of air particles, air pollution and other indoor allergens passing through your HVAC unit and floating around in your air. These impurities can cause respiratory problems and other health issues. In addition to their amazing health benefits, removing this pollution from your air supply also helps you reduce dirt and dust that could otherwise accumulate in the house.
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How To Replace Your Media Air Filter
Replacing your media air filter is a quick process that’s fast and easy. For starters, air filters come with the air filter already inside the media’s cabinet. Sooner or later homeowners will need to replace this filter if it gets clogged. Clogged air filters are hard on HVAC equipment. To help you through the process, we at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air outline the steps below:
Step One
Remove your old air filter from the frame box inside your HVAC system. Before you do this, nevertheless, you should make sure to turn off all the power to your HVAC system for safety. This also ensures that you don’t get any dust, dirt, particles or anything else inside the HVAC equipment while you‘re replacing the media.
Step Two
Find all four tabs on the air filter’s frame box. Turn these tabs to open them and allow the sides of the frame to go down. This provides you with easy access to the media filter for easy removal. After doing this, the old media filter should slide out easily. You can throw it away. Because of their convenient design, they‘re much easier to dispose of. They also aren’t nearly as bulky and you should be able to fold them up and throw them away in the trash.
Step Three
Uncoil your new media filter and insert it into the air filter’s frame box. The ends of the new media has cardboard that you should be able to slide into the first channel on the filter frame in a tight and snug way. Matching the position of the old media, insert the fold at the base of the frame box. After doing this, there are only 2 accordion air filters that should fit into several different frames. Because of this, you might have more folds than you have channels. If you do, you don’t need to worry. It’s not a problem. If you have extras, bunch them up into a single channel and it should work nicely.
Step Four
After inserting all the folds, lift the sides of the box up so you can reattach it to the new media filter. Then, flip the tabs back into place and secure the media again. After doing this, you’ve successfully replaced your media!