When it comes to pollution, air quality outside the home isn’t the only problem you need to be concerned about – indoor air quality is typically much worse than the outdoor environment. Indoor air is contaminated with all sorts of particles such as pet dander, mold spores, dust pollen, and more! When you spend the majority of your day indoors, it helps to have products that filter out contaminants and leave your indoor environment healthier.
The furnace filter inside your HVAC system isn’t enough to clean indoor air throughout the whole house. It protects the heating and cooling units, including your forced air furnace and air conditioning systems, but you need a whole home media air cleaner for cleaner air throughout the entire home. Whole house air cleaners work alongside an HVAC system to trap particles and improve air quality of whole home air. Powerful air filters use media that eliminates allergens and other matter as comfort systems operate. With a MERV rating that is higher than your average furnace filter, a media air cleaner provides better indoor air for your entire family.
Thomas & Galbraith is committed to helping Cincinnati homeowners improve their air quality. Through products such as air cleaners and air purifiers, bothersome pollutants are removed from your whole house. Learn what a home media air cleaning product can do for you when you schedule a consultation with our Comfort Consultants today!
Media air cleaners use a type of filter with a higher efficiency rating than what most people use in their furnace system. These filters are able to leave the whole home with cleaner air due to their ability to capture smaller particles with greater efficiency.
A media air cleaner is professionally installed alongside the home heating and cooling system, and the product works with the forced air furnace or air conditioning HVAC model to filter air circulating through the system for conditioning. This type of air filter is meant for use in addition to the furnace filter, not instead of it. The job of the furnace filter is to stop particles from entering the HVAC system where they can settle on delicate and electronic components and cause problems; the house media air system filter is meant to remove airborne contaminants from the air supply for your benefit, delivering cleaner indoor air.
The function isn’t the only difference between the furnace filter and the air filter used in your media air cleaner. The filter for a whole house air cleaning product usually has a higher MERV rating, meaning it has a higher efficiency than the standard disposable filter that is used in your furnace. The filter of an air cleaner usually lasts longer, too, which means you do not have to replace it as frequently – just make sure you change the filter as recommended or sooner if needed.
There are various types of air cleaner products and air purifiers out there to use inside your home. Whole home models can treat the entire volume of indoor air, while a portable air cleaner is only meant to treat a small area. A whole home media air cleaner simply uses a strong air filter to capture contaminants passing through. An electronic air purifier can use a filter as well as an electronic charge to trap contaminant particles inside the system. Another type of air purifier uses UV light to neutralize particles that circulate through the HVAC system.
As a forced air heating and cooling system runs, air from the whole home cycles through the equipment and ductwork. With a whole home media air cleaner installed alongside the HVAC system, the whole house supply of indoor air passes through the air cleaner filter. With a filter rated MERV 11 or higher, fine particles are removed from suspension so they cannot travel back into the home’s living areas. These products clean the air and remove particles including dust pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and other allergy-inducing particulates.
Now, MERV 11 isn’t the highest-efficiency filter product on the market, but it does a great job for use at home. While many people think a HEPA filter is going to deliver the best indoor air quality, HEPA actually isn’t recommended for use at home. While their efficiency is the best you can get, their thickness can actually block the flow of air through your HVAC system, which will increase the cost of energy, make it difficult to manage temperatures, and could even cause the system to break down.
Allergens and air pollution are never an issue restricted to a single room – they affect areas across the whole house! Portable electronic air cleaning products are often sold at department stores and home improvement shops, but they just don’t have the filter power that a home media air unit does. Portable air cleaning products only cover a small space, such as a bedroom or office. Because the whole home air cleaning system is used with the heating and cooling system, all indoor air is filtered.
The filter media cleans the air of particles when HVAC systems run, but what about times when temperatures are mild enough to have the units turned off? You may think this type of media air cleaner is only good when the furnace or cooling unit is on, but you can use a home media air cleaner independent of a heating and cooling cycle. Simply use the HVAC fan by turning it on at the thermostat, and the furnace or air handler blower will circulate air throughout the system – it just won’t be heated or cooled. Do this periodically to remove dust, pet dander, and other particles – just make sure to turn the fan off, as leaving this electronic component running will raise your energy bill.
Pollutant particles build up in the home, spreading from room to room. Dust, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and other matter affects everyone differently – some may suffer mild health symptoms while others experience more severe respiratory issues, including:
Using media air cleaners works to reduce the concentration of these particles throughout the whole house. A cleaner air supply allows every member of your household to experience better comfort and health.
When you use a professionally installed whole home air cleaner product, you don’t have to be worried about adding to your household to-do list. An air cleaner that provides service to the whole home requires very little in the way of maintenance. Make sure to remove and replace the filter as needed, which is typically every six to 12 months. Media air cleaners don’t use electricity as an electronic air purifier does, so use will not increase the price of your utility bill. The efficiency of your HVAC system can even increase with the use of media air cleaner units, as dust and particles are kept away from electronic components and other delicate parts to avoid damage.
You may have heard about ozone from certain air purifiers and air cleaners. When you use a media air cleaner type of product, you don’t have to worry about exposure to ozone. The media air filter and system are not electronic, so there is no ozone created through use.
Thomas & Galbraith delivers the best media air filters and products for use in homes throughout the Cincinnati area. You’ll notice there are many products available on the market and each model comes at a different price – how do you decide which system is best for your home, and what cost is worth the price?
We encourage you to schedule an appointment with our Comfort Consultants to learn about the media air cleaners available to remove contaminants across the whole home. We address your indoor air quality concerns to determine the house media air products that will allow you to achieve better indoor air with the help of your furnace and cooling units.
Cincinnati area homeowners love the Honeywell Home Media Air Cleaner model F100F2025/U, which will effectively remove dust, pet dander, and other allergens from indoor air. This Honeywell whole house air cleaning system uses MERV 11 air filters to trap particulates circulating through the air inside your HVAC ducts and units.
Choose the Honeywell Media Air Cleaner for efficient clean air without added cost. The four-inch air filter can be used for up to one year, a great value for the price! The product features a thoughtful design to streamline airflow and is compatible with many gas, electric, and oil HVAC systems.
Max is an important part of our team. He is more than just a cartoon character. Max represents our commitment to quality work, craftsmanship, pride, and our passion to serve our clients and community. We celebrate this mentality through Max because these are the values that drive us to be the area’s most complete and comprehensive home service company. So, now when you see Max, you’ll know the story behind the man with the mustache!