Adding ventilation filters to your home is an effective way to protect against dust, allergens, and other airborne particles. HEPA, or high-efficiency particulate air, is the highest standard for air filtration and can remove microscopic substances from the air such as mold, dust, and pet dander. A whole-house HEPA air purifier connects to the main trunk of a home's HVAC intake duct and filters out harmful contaminants every time the oven or air conditioner is operating. The cleaning process will remove accumulated dirt, dust, and pollen from the filter and minimize damage to its delicate accordion folds.
In the quest to control COVID-19 and reduce airborne transmission rates, air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can play an important role when used in homes and public environments, such as waiting rooms. The three most common appliances that use HEPA filters are whole-house filtration systems designed to treat complete HVAC systems, portable air purifiers, and vacuums. A HEPA-quality filter used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can greatly improve indoor air quality by filtering out the small particles of greatest health concern. This is a relatively inexpensive option, and its MERV 8 rating will work well to filter out smoke and smog.
This means it can filter out a wide variety of contaminants, including smoke, cough and sneeze debris, bacteria and viruses. The most commonly used system applies a MERV (minimum efficiency report value) number to each filter, which was developed by ASHRAE (formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers). These filtration systems sometimes have a multi-step filtration process, with a pre-filter for large particles, a MERV 17 filter for excess contaminants, and a carbon filter for odors. While they can't eliminate the problem completely, ventilation filters can also help reduce airborne allergens, such as pet dander and pollen.
But 3M and Home Depot have developed their own classification systems called MPR (Microparticle Performance Rating) and FPR (Filter Performance Rating), respectively. Yes, by using HEPA filters in both vacuum cleaners and air purifiers, the user can reduce the amount of allergens and airborne pollutants in a home. However, along with other precautions, such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining social distancing, air purifiers equipped with HEPA can help reduce the risk of infection. Keep in mind that UV filters should be used in conjunction with an air filter that deals with the particles themselves.
In such cases, vent filters can trap a large percentage of particulate matter but duct leaks will also affect your heating bills.
