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It’s become quite a cliche statement, but we really are experiencing “unprecedented times,” nearly ONE YEAR later. To help stop the spread of COVID-19, it’s important to take safety precautions in many aspects of our lives. These measures include your use of “central” furnace and air conditioning filters in your home and/or office. The Basics of Air Filters The filter’s primary function is to protect the operation of the equipment, not the occupants of homes or businesses! Sounds outrageous, doesn’t it? We call the typical 1-inch thick filter you’ll find at “box” stores “boulder catchers”; certainly NOT appropriate to catch and hold dust, bacteria or airborne viruses. So, changing your dirty standard air filter with a “boulder catcher” does nothing to protect the health of the occupants. If you can see through the filter, it can’t capture particles you can’t see! Fine dust, molds, viruses and bacteria are NOT visible to the human eye. What’s a Homeowner or Business Owner to Do? In one word—upgrade! If you already have upgraded filters, follow the recommended replacement schedule and modify based on your environment. Living near a busy highway, living with wall to wall carpet, highly active children, pets, and wooded areas will increase the replacement frequency. (Carpeting is a dust and dirt catcher—walk across the carpet and you stir up a fine cloud of dust and particles behind you that you don’t see. When is the last time you saw the obnoxious cologne your friend was wearing?) Most standard “central” system filters are rated with a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, which designates the size of the particle the filter media will catch and hold. The higher the MERV rating, the more restrictive air flow and particulate flow back into the air we breathe. Studies show that using a MERV 13-rated filter works at a 95% efficiency level in capturing the COVID-19 virus particle. This filter will hold the virus particle long enough to render it harmless. Ductless filters are rarely rated in MERV. The large ductless filters are supposed to be cleaned every 2 to 3 weeks and replaced annually or bi-annually. Most ductless units have specialty air filters available to help capture the fine particles, remove odors or add “health-enhancing” products to the air. The challenge with “central” systems becomes the restriction to airflow, which can cause significant system efficiency loss, higher operating costs, and damage to marginally healthy equipment! In fact, many air duct systems are undersized, making the use of higher efficiency filtration even more dangerous to equipment longevity, cost-efficient operation, and healthy living. HEPA Air Filters The word ‘HEPA’ stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. This type of air filter can trap up to 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns, the most penetrable size of air particles. Their MERV ratings (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values) are among the highest of air filter types. To see a table of ratings and their respective particle size blockage, see the EPA’s table here. Structurally, these filters have an interlaced glass fiber construction twisted together to make a sustainable fibrous maze. So when particles move through the web, the filters pick them out of circulation. Despite the standards and certifications being as recent as 1983, HEPA air filters actually date back to World War II. American scientists with the Manhattan Project created the first HEPA air purifiers to capture radioactive particles that atomic bombs released.  How HEPA Air Filters Help Cleanse the Air of COVID-19 When people carrying the coronavirus talk, sing, cough, yell or even breathe, they release the virus into the air through particles ranging in various sizes. Although the large respiratory droplets fall quickly, the smaller aerosols are able to remain in the air for 30 minutes or longer until they’re taken away through ventilation or captured by an air-purification system. Air cleaning filters specifically filter out all kinds of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and airborne particles; reducing airborne contaminants including viruses. Air purifiers are also helpful when you have limited ventilation from the outdoors.  To help reduce the amount of viral contaminants from the air, it’s best to use HEPA air filters that come with MERV ratings ranging from 0.1 to 1 micron capture, and make sure to be on top of checking them and changing them for new filters on their proper frequency and recommended schedule.  Air Cleaners in Your Home A central heating and cooling system can be the ideal way to decrease indoor air pollutants as it regularly exchanges the air throughout each room of a home. Keep in mind, your standard air filter is made to protect your unit, so you can’t exactly count on them to remove the virus. A Central Air Purifier (CAP) Could Be a Better Answer Using a “bypass” type HEPA air purification unit attached to your present system will help avoid the airflow restrictions caused by simply replacing an existing flow-through furnace filter. The “bypass” CAP unit uses a percentage of the system’s airflow, cleaning it systematically and in concert with an upgraded, but not too restrictive air filter.  The CAP is a multi-layered filtration unit with the first layer of filters removing the large particles, and the HEPA core removing the smaller particles. This layering helps increase the longevity of the HEPA core, which could last 2 to 3 years. The system circulates air continuously, even when the furnace or air conditioning unit is operating and eventually, all the air in the home is cleaned. Cleaner Air in Commercial Buildings Much like your home air conditioning system, a commercial HVAC system filters the air before allowing it to move into areas around the building. Upgrading the filter is a bit easier because most systems are built with filter racks that enable the owner to upgrade to thicker and higher efficiency filters.  One key difference between home systems and commercial systems is a requirement for commercial buildings to introduce outdoor air into the system, mostly to fight the ill effects of the carbon dioxide produced by various sources, including humans. Yes, it pulls in the hot and humid air in the summer, cold air in the winter, and whatever is in the outside air making filter changes and maintenance ever more important; all while increasing energy consumption!  We’ll talk about an answer next time… Can we help with your filter needs? Contact us today!

What is a Furnace Filter, and What should I do if my air filter looks clean when it's time to change it? According to Freddie Williams, an instructor of air-conditioning technology at Lanier Technical College in Oakwood, Ga., high-grade filters are the most efficient way to clean the air in your home. But what do they look like when they've done their job? When it's time to change your filter -- anywhere from 1 to 3 months after you installed a fresh one -- it should look dirty. "A build-up of dust is usually apparent," Williams said. "There should be gray, ashy-looking material on the duct side of the filter." If your filter looks clean after it's been in place for the recommended time, here are some things you should check: Does the filter fit properly into the holder? If the filter is loose or too small for the space, the air can circulate around it instead of going through it. Measure the filter space and purchase a filter that fits snugly. Is the filter installed upside down? There is a correct air-flow direction for most air filters. Look for arrows on the filter frame, and install the filter so that the arrows point toward the fan. Is the filter you're using right for the job you want it to do? If you're using a low-end filter, it's not going to catch much dust. Upgrade to a filter with a higher MERV rating to increase the air cleaning efficiency. Check your rate of air exchange. According to Williams, if your system is functioning properly, it should run for about 15 minutes per cycle, with a cycle rate of not more than three in an hour. If it runs shorter cycles, it isn't creating the desired rate of air exchange. Call a professional and get your system checked. Your home environment and how often you run the heat or air can also affect how quickly your air filter gets dirty. If your home is well sealed, you have no pets, no dust-prone furnishings like carpet and fabric-covered furniture, and you dust and vacuum every day, your air filters will have fewer air-born particles to collect. Also, the system only filters the air when it's running. If you install a new filter, but don't turn on the heat or air conditioning until a month or two later, the filter should still be relatively clean since the system hasn't been forcing air through it.

These filters are available for these portable vacuums: H2500 (serial #s 1155 and higher) H2500IV H2500TF PPV This package ships with 1 filter.For more details and purchase info:https://hepafiltersales.com/products/abatement-technologies-h2520-99-24-x-18-x-6-hepa-filter

Our customers count on us to get straight answers and help. If they are going to invest in good quality filters, they want to know what they’re getting. So along those lines, the question I get asked all the time is: “Are your filters OEM (original equipment manufacturer)?” Some of the customers have purchased the cheap knock offs elsewhere before that didn’t hold up, so they just like to check that we have the real deal before making their purchase. The truth is that we don’t sell knock-offs; we only sell OEM filters (trusted brands like Abatement, Ultravation, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, and more). If you have any questions about what you see in our store, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m right here. Live chat with us

Abatement Technologies H8518B Bag Filter is now available in Hepa Filter Sales store (actual stock may vary). Abatement Technologies H8518B replacement bag filter for the following Abatement portable vacuums: H2500IV and discontinued models H2500 (Serial Numbers (1) greater than 1155 and (2) Serial Numbers up to 1154) H4000 and H5000 Abatement Technologies H8518B is a second stage Merv 8 bag filter. This package ships with 4 filters. For more details and purchase info: Abatement Technologies H2515B Bag Filter for H2500, H2500IV, H2500B

We recently started offering this filter from Koch: The Koch Multi-Pleat XL8 MERV 8 furnace filter model 102-041-009 is a high performance disposable replacement air filter for all Bryant, Carrier and Payne gas and oil furnaces, heat pump and AC air handlers. This package ships with 12 filters and should be replaced every 1-3 months. For more details and purchase info: https://hepafiltersales.com/products/koch-air-filter-18-x-18-x-1-merv-8-pleated-air-filter-12-pack

Check out this new product available from Abatement Technologies: Abatement Technologies H2515B replacement bag filter for the following Abatement units: H2500 H2500IV H2500B H2500C H2500TF This product ships with one (1) replacement first stage bag filter. For more details and purchase info:https://hepafiltersales.com/products/abatement-technologies-h2515b-1st-stage-fitted-pre-filter-bag