Hopefully, you know that you should change you furnace and A/C filter every couple of months. But what kind of air filter should you buy?

希望您知道，您应该每隔几个月更换炉子和空调过滤器。 但是，您应该购买哪种空气过滤器？

If your HVAC system came with a user manual, then it probably says what kind of air filter you should use, but if you’re like most homeowners, you probably have no idea where the user manual is for your HVAC system (if you even still have it in the first place).

如果您的HVAC系统带有用户手册，那么它可能会说您应该使用哪种空气过滤器，但是如果您像大多数房主一样，则可能不知道该用户手册适用于HVAC系统。仍然放在第一位)。

Here are some things you should know about your HVAC’s air filter, and which one you need for your particular system.

您需要了解一些有关HVAC空气过滤器的知识，以及特定系统所需的知识。

熔炉过滤器和A / C过滤器是同一事物 (The Furnace Filter and A/C Filter Are the Same Thing)

First of all, you may think that your heating and cooling systems use their own separate air filters, especially since air filters are sometimes colloquially known as “furnace filters”—it’s easy to think that the furnace has its own filter, while the A/C also uses a separate one.

首先，您可能会认为您的加热和冷却系统使用了自己的独立空气过滤器，尤其是由于空气过滤器有时被俗称为“炉过滤器”，因此很容易想到炉子有自己的过滤器，而A / C也使用单独的一个。

However, both your furnace and A/C share a single filter. With forced-air systems, air gets sucked in through the return vents from all around your house, goes through the air filter, and then through the HVAC system where the air is either heated or cooled, depending on what you have your thermostat set to.

但是，您的熔炉和A / C共用一个过滤器。 使用强制通风系统时，空气会从房屋周围的回风口被吸入，通过空气过滤器，然后通过HVAC系统，在该系统中，空气被加热或冷却，具体取决于您将恒温器设置为什么温度。 。

This is why it’s important to change your air filter year round, since both the heating and cooling units take advantage of that air filter.

这就是为什么一年四季更换空气过滤器很重要的原因，因为加热和冷却单元都利用了该空气过滤器。

过滤器在哪里？ (Where Does the Filter Go?)

Knowing what kind of air filter to get is good, but it’s useless information if you have no idea where the air filter goes in the first place.

知道要购买哪种空气过滤器是件好事，但是如果您不知道空气过滤器首先要放在哪里，那么这是无用的信息。

In almost every traditional forced-air system, the air filter is placed between the return duct and the HVAC unit itself. There will usually be a cover with a handle on it that you can remove to gain access to the air filter.

在几乎所有传统的强制空气系统中，空气滤清器都放置在回风管和HVAC装置本身之间。 通常会有一个带有手柄的盖子，您可以将其卸下以接触空气过滤器。

Take off that cover and you’ll see the air filter in the slot. From there, you should be able to grab onto it and easily slide it out.

取下盖子，您会在插槽中看到空气过滤器。 从那里，您应该能够抓住它并轻松地将其滑出。

If your HVAC system is in your attic, the air filter may be in a vent in the ceiling. You’ll find a few levers that you can move to open the vent.

如果您的HVAC系统位于阁楼中，则空气过滤器可能位于天花板的通风Kong中。 您会发现一些可以移动以打开通风Kong的杠杆。

The filter is easy to grab—in fact, it may fall out of the vent if it isn’t snug, so be ready for that.

过滤器很容易抓住-实际上，如果过滤器不紧贴，可能会掉出通风Kong，因此请做好准备。

过滤器需要朝哪个方向？ (Which Direction Does the Filter Need to Be Facing?)

You might think that you can insert the air filter into its slot in any orientation, but they actually need to be placed in a specific direction. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to figure out which way it needs to go.

您可能会认为可以将空气滤清器以任何方向插入其插槽，但是实际上它们必须沿特定方向放置。 幸运的是，很容易找出需要走的路。

First, you need to figure out which direction the air flows in your HVAC system. Sometimes it will tell you right on the outside of the unit, either with an official marking or someone just drawing an arrow.

首先，您需要确定空气在HVAC系统中的流动方向。 有时，它会在设备外部告诉您，带有官方标记或只是在画箭头的人。

If there’s no marking, you can simply look at the overall setup of the HVAC system and know from that. Locate the return duct and the main unit. Air flows from the return duct into the main unit. So in my case, air flows to the left.

如果没有标记，则只需查看HVAC系统的整体设置并从中了解。 找到回风管和主机。 空气从回流管流入主机。 因此，就我而言，空气向左流动。

Next, take a look at your air filter and you should see an arrow located somewhere along the edge of the filter. This arrow needs to point in the direction of your HVAC’s airflow.

接下来，看一下空气过滤器，您应该在过滤器边缘的某个地方看到一个箭头。 该箭头需要指向HVAC气流的方向。

If you have an attic vent in your ceiling like the one pictured further above, the arrow should point up toward the HVAC unit.

如果您的天花板上有一个阁楼通风Kong(如上图所示)，则箭头应指向HVAC单元。

找到合适的过滤器尺寸 (Find the Right Filter Size)

Air filters come in all different sizes and range from about an inch thick to a few inches thick. It’s important to know the size of the air filter you need. Otherwise, well…it won’t fit.

空气过滤器具有各种不同的尺寸，范围从一英寸厚到几英寸厚。 了解您需要的空气过滤器的尺寸非常重要。 否则，well……不适合。

Usually all you have to do is pull out the old filter and note the dimensions that are labeled on the edge of the filter. However, if that’s not possible and you have no idea how big of an air filter to get, it’s time to get out the measuring tape.

通常，您要做的就是拉出旧的过滤器，并注意过滤器边缘上标注的尺寸。 但是，如果这不可能，并且您不知道要装多大的空气过滤器，那就该把卷尺拿出来了。

Start by measuring from the bottom of the air filter compartment to the top. Then measure the thickness of the slot. After that, extend the measuring tape and stick it into the compartment until it touches the back wall—measure from that point to the entrance of the compartment.

首先从空气过滤器隔间的底部到顶部进行测量。 然后测量插槽的厚度。 然后，拉长卷尺，将其粘贴到隔室中，直到它接触到后壁为止(从该点到隔室的入口为止)。

You’ll end up with three numbers (in inches), which is the air filter size you need (usually denoted as something like 16x25x1 on the side of the filter). The numbers you end up with may not be exact, but generally the filter size closest to your numbers is the one to get.

您将得到三个数字(以英寸为单位)，这是您需要的空气过滤器尺寸(通常在过滤器侧面表示为16x25x1之类的东西)。 最终得出的数字可能不准确，但是通常最接近您的数字的过滤器大小是要获得的数字。

检查MERV等级 (Check the MERV Rating)

Air filter size is not the only important factor, but also its MERV rating, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This is technical speak for how good the air filter is at catching dust particles and keeping them from recirculating into your house. A MERV rating of 1 is the worst rating, while a MERV rating of 16 is the best. What this means is that a MERV 16 air filter will catch more dirt, dust particles, allergens, etc. than a MERV 1 air filter.

空气过滤器的尺寸不是唯一重要的因素，也是MERV等级的 代表 ， 它代表最低效率报告值。 这是空气滤清器在收集灰尘颗粒并防止其再循环到您的房屋中的性能的技术性说法。 MERV等级1是最差的等级，而MERV等级16是最好的等级。 这意味着MERV 16空气过滤器比MERV 1空气过滤器捕获更多的污垢，灰尘颗粒，过敏原等。

You might think that a MERV 16 air filter is the one to get without question, but if your HVAC system isn’t capable of handling such an air filter, you’re in for some trouble. Thicker air filters are great at catching dust particles and allergens, but they also heavily restrict airflow from passing through, so you need to make sure that your HVAC system has a powerful enough fan to handle something like a MERV 16 filter.

您可能会认为MERV 16空气滤清器是毫无疑问的一款，但是如果您的HVAC系统无法处理这种空气滤清器，那么您将遇到麻烦。 较厚的空气过滤器可以很好地捕获灰尘和过敏原，但是它们也严重限制了空气的流通，因此，您需要确保HVAC系统具有足够强大的风扇，以应对类似MERV 16过滤器的问题。

You can usually find this information in the owner’s manual, but if not, do some experimenting with different MERV levels, starting with lower ratings and working your way up until you think your HVAC system starts to struggle. You can also call a HVAC technician to inspect your system and have them recommend an air filter.

通常，您可以在用户手册中找到此信息，但如果没有，请尝试以不同的MERV等级进行试验，从较低的额定值开始，然后逐步提高，直到您认为自己的HVAC系统开始挣扎。 您还可以致电HVAC技术人员检查系统，并建议他们安装空气过滤器。

Some air filter brands won’t have MERV ratings marked on the filter, with 3M’s Filtrete being a good example. Instead, they use their own numbering system called MPR (Micro-Particle Performance Rating). This web page provides a basic conversion from MPR to MERV, which should help you out if you happen to switch air filter brands that use different rating systems.

一些空气过滤器品牌的过滤器上没有标明MERV等级，例如3M的Filtrete是一个很好的例子。 取而代之的是，他们使用自己的编号系统MPR(微型颗粒性能分级)。 该网页提供了从MPR到MERV的基本转换 ，如果您碰巧要更换使用不同评级系统的空气滤清器品牌，这将为您提供帮助。

翻译自: https://www.howtogeek.com/300288/what-kind-of-air-filter-should-i-use-for-my-furnace-and-ac/