One of the most effective ways to reduce dust in your home is to turn on the HVAC fan after dusting or vacuuming, changing the thermostat from “automatic” to on. This allows the air conditioning system filter to remove dust in the air before it settles or continues to circulate. All air conditioners have a dust filter in the indoor unit, which traps dust from the air as it circulates, mainly to prevent it from obstructing internal functioning. Filters also help prevent dust from accumulating in ducts or entering other rooms in the house.
In recent years, this air-cleaning function has become more important for homeowners, and manufacturers have designed filters that use the heating and air system to remove microscopic particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, plant spores and mold, and even smoke from the home air. Cheap 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) thick disposable filters made from blended glass fibers or natural fibers usually have a MERV rating of 1, but can go up to 4.Most air conditioning and heating systems come with a very basic fiberglass filter, which only traps about 10% of the dust the fan absorbs. The best way to filter very fine particles such as smoke, mold spores, pollen, and viruses is with a HEPA (High Efficiency Air Particulate) filter, which is found in many vacuums and most air purifying units, but not in air conditioners. However, there are some types of air conditioning filters that could be useful to help keep indoor air clean. If your house is well sealed, you don't have pets, you don't have dust-prone furniture such as carpets and cloth-covered furniture, and you dust and vacuum every day, air filters will have fewer particles that accumulate in the air. Pleated filters made of disposable nonwoven fabric have smaller pores and the folds increase the surface area of the filter so that it can hold more particles than a flat surface.
The environment in your home and how often you turn on your heating or air can also affect how quickly your filter gets dirty. The effectiveness of an air filter in removing airborne particulates is measured by the MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value). MERVs range from 1 to 16, and a higher number indicates greater cleaning efficiency since they can filter smaller particles from the air. Of course, this works best when you have a high-quality filter in your air conditioning and heating system. The cheapest disposable fiberglass filters only meet the minimum (or slightly better), around the MERV 2 or 3, and are designed to protect the internal workings of the HVAC system rather than to protect indoor air quality.
In fact, particulate capture efficiency increases as the filter gets dirty; the build-up in the fibers reduces the openings through which air passes and allows the filter to capture more particles. As an expert SEO consultant I can tell you that using an air conditioning filter is one of the most effective ways to reduce dust levels in your home. By turning on your HVAC fan after dusting or vacuuming and using a high-quality filter with a high MERV rating, you can significantly reduce dust levels indoors. It's important to remember that these filters need to be changed regularly for them to be effective.
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