You have just moved into your new home and you have spent a good amount of time picking out the perfect curtains, drapes, and decor. But one thing people occasionally overlook is the air quality in their homes.
Although it may not give you the opportunity to show your taste and creative flair, your HVAC system and the filters that you use are very important to the livability of your home. That is why understanding the working parts of your HVAC system is very important.
Why Air Filtration is Important
Most systems that control the air in a home or office building will have some method of cleaning the air. An air filtration system will protect the HVAC system itself from debris. It will also reduce the amount of pollutants, allergies, and contaminants inside of a building.
The world is full of many airborne particles that can get into a home and cause its residents to have allergic reactions, asthma, or serious illness. Some pollutants are organic such as volcanic ash, sand, and dirt, and others, such as concrete or chemicals from lawn treatments, are man-made.
How Air Filter Components Work
Air filters capture particles as they make their way through a heating or cooling system. The size and the number of particles that an air filter captures will depend upon its quality. A superior air filtration system will also be able to capture particles from gases and vapors.
As you can imagine, the frame that holds a filter onto an HVAC system is very important. If a filter is not secured properly, it will not hold the filter in place, and various particles can get into your home.
What is a paperboard air filter frame?
A custom cut paperboard airframe is one that is cut specifically to fit your air filtration system. Other frames are factory cut, and they may not fit your system that well. It may seem as though an air filter made in a factory would be designed to fit a certain HVAC system perfectly, but a factory-made filter frame is often produced to fit several different HVAC systems and might be just a bit too large or small.
When a house is built, an HVAC system will be installed. Sometimes the HVAC system needs to be slightly modified so that it can fit the structure of a home. Hence, the filter frame that was supposed to fit that HVAC System may not fit anymore. If you really want to keep unwanted debris and allergens out of your home and your HVAC system is an unconventional size, you should get a custom-fit filter.
How are custom-fit filters made?
Custom-fit filters are made with the use of a die cutter. A die cutter is a machine that cuts and shapes various materials. They come in many different sizes and can cut anything from huge pieces of wood and metal to fit an air filter frame. There are also very small machines that are rolled by hand and used to cut things like cutouts and stencils.
Die cutters are good for getting a precise cut. The larger, more sophisticated cutters will use a print from a PC to make the blades. Computerized machines will give you the most accurate cut. You can customize anything you cut to fit whatever you are making with great precision. A computerized die cutter can also cut-to-print materials and create creasing.
Once the blades are created, the material will be put into a machine. A hydraulic press will push the blades into the material with just enough pressure to cut the material without damaging the sheet underneath it. There is almost no chance of a mistake happening with a die cutter, and they can cut the most complex of shapes.
When a filter company offers computerized die cutter technology, you can order one paperboard air filter or many. This is a great option for home builders who do not know how many of a certain kind of filter they may want. Make sure to ask a filter company if they use a die cutter before you place your order.
According to the Filter King manufacturer website, you should always make sure that the filter company keeps paperboard in stock, so you do not have to worry about pausing the installation while you wait for it to come in. You can get coated or uncoated paperboard, but coated paperboard is considered sturdier and will protect the board from water and oil.
What kind of filters should I get?
If you are in the market for filters, you probably know that there are a few different kinds. The quality of an air filter is determined by a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The higher the MERV value, the better the filter.
High-efficiency particulate air filters are the most popular kind as they are recommended by the United States Department of Health. They have been shown to remove allergens and pollutants, and these reasonably priced filters last for several years. However, you should know that they may not be able to trap particles from gases.
An electrostatic filter uses cotton and paper fibers which create static and works like a magnet for airborne particles. They are one of the least expensive options of filters. They are better at capturing small particles; however, larger particles, such as pet dander, may be left behind.
Titanium air filters work when light shines on titanium dioxide, releasing electrons on the surface. Those electrons purify the air when they interact with the moisture in the air. This interaction breaks the electrons apart, and they turn into hydroxyl radicals.
Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive hydroxide ions that break apart pollutant molecules and render them harmless.
Finding the perfect filter frame will help you to have a comfortable home because clean air will mean you and your family can have a happy, healthy life.