What is the best HVAC air filter?

The best air filter for your home depends on how much airborne contaminents you want to trap. This comes at a higher price per filter, and requires you to change the air filter more often. Remember, the more matter you build up on a filter, the less air flow you are getting to your HVAC system. HEPA filters trap more debris, but need to be changed more often than a standard, disposable filter.

The term "HVAC air filter" can be generalized as any type of filter that can be placed in the return air side of an indoor fan or blower unit to capture airborne contaminants. The amount of debris an air filter captures is rated in "microns" meaning one-millionth of a meter or .00004 of an inch. HVAC air filters come in different widths and lengths to cover the entire return air opening.

This web page is for general heating and air conditioning air filters. It was developed to give the user an array of options to find and research the correct air filter for their indoor HVAC unit.

General HVAC air filters can be categorized as any air filter from standard fiberglass to HEPA filtration that properly fit your type of system. A properly sized air filter fits in a custom or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) filter frame without tearing or bending, all-the-while covering all of the return air opening.

An under-sized air filter will allow more contaminants to pass through the exposed opening putting them back into your home or system. As an under-sized filter traps any dirt and debris, the negative pressures constantly pulling on the filter will eventually just pass through the unfiltered area. An oversided air filter will bend and could come dislodged from the filer rack.