Air Filters 101
Since the dawn of the pandemic, discussions surrounding the importance of clean filtered air have risen in popularity. This has led to an increase in new and often incorrect information and suggestions.
AirFiltrate is here to give you tested and proven recommendations and specifications for various HVAC systems—no unnecessary hype, no nonsense. We will do a deep dive into both common and specialty air filter types and applications.
Throw-Away Filters
Heavy-duty or industrial-grade filters (IGF), also known as flat panel filters, utilize spun fiberglass or polyester pad media. These see-through filters are not meant for continued use because they fail to keep out most contaminants.
Formerly, the only upside to these filters was their affordability. Nowadays, however, the cost difference between IGFs and standard pleated air filters has decreased.
Standard Pleated Air Filters
MERV is an acronym for minimum efficiency reported value, a measure of an air filter’s capacity and efficiency. The best and most common HVAC solution is a standard MERV 8 pleated air filter.
For nearly all commercial applications, a high-quality MERV 8 pleated filter will provide ample filtration. This comes without the added airflow restriction of a higher-rated MERV 11 or 13 filter that most units are not designed to handle.
Features of Our MERV 8 Air Filters
Our selection of standard air filters features 1”, 2”, and 4” depths and comes in a myriad of sizes. Our products utilize a sturdy diamond-cut frame as well as an expanded metal retainer. This gives our filters the durability necessary for commercial air handlers.
High-Capacity Filters
High-efficiency or high-capacity filters, also known as MERV 13 filters, are required in many controlled environments in the surgical, pharmaceutical, tech, and aerospace industries. These filters are not typically used in offices and stores.
MERV 11 & 13 are the most common efficiency ratings. These levels of efficiency are at the highest end of the non-HEPA spectrum. Compared to standard MERV 8 pleated filters, these catch much smaller particulates (efficiency) in higher volumes (capacity).
Custom-Sized Pleated Air Filters
Hundreds of thousands of HVAC units manufactured every year do not accept a standard-sized air filter. In response to this, we create custom air filters to properly fit such units all across the Phoenix Valley.
Carbon Air Filters
Carbon or charcoal filters are designed for odor control. We have manufactured these for several cigar bars and restaurants located in Phoenix.
HEPA Filters
These filters are often 6” – 12” in depth, have efficiency values over 99.9%, and utilize a pre-filter system. Like MERV 13s, these are used for environments needing the highest level of air filtration. Several medical and tech companies use our HEPA filters.
Media Pads
Media pads are necessary to remove contaminants from the air stream in HVAC systems. We manufacture these for installation into existing metal frames.
Ring Panels
These filters are notable for their flexibility. They utilize depth for added capacity and are ideal for the thousands of York units we service.
Cube Filters
Paint booths, powder coating, and the like often use a specialized system to exhaust their fumes per EPA requirements. We design high-quality cube filters optimized for such environments.
Learn More About Our Products
Our company stocks all levels of MERV-rated air filters and manufactures customized filtration systems for an extensive range of commercial applications. We are happy to accommodate any questions regarding air filtration, filter types, and HVAC services.