Does the number of pleats in air filter matter?

These filters are usually highly efficient; to promote better airflow, look for one with many folds. The more folds you have, the easier air will pass through this filter. A pleated polyester filter with a MERV value of 6 to 8 would be an ideal solution. Pleated filters can be highly efficient and durable.

They generally have MERV ratings of 5 to 12 and have a much longer lifespan compared to their counterparts. Pleated filters are also exceptionally good as an indoor air quality solution for people with allergies. In the images above you can see the difference between a pleated filter and an unpleated filter. The advantage of a pleated filter is that it offers more surface area than a pleated filter.

If everything else is the same, this means that the pleated filter will allow more airflow. But, as is often the case, everything else is not the same. The non-pleated fiberglass filter on the right will allow more airflow than the pleated filter on the right; however, it will also allow more particles to pass through. Are those thin green filters worth using for an extra couple of dollars you can save, or are pleated air filters the best option? There's a saying in the industry about, well, almost everything that says that “you get what you pay for.

In the air filter industry, this is as true as ever. The two most common types of air filters are fiberglass air filters and pleated air filters, and they couldn't be more different when it comes to household air filters. So which of these varieties is best for your home? Well, since we just said “you get what you pay for”, you can probably guess that pleated air filters are better. Cheaper fiberglass used to have some advantages, but in reality there aren't any more.

Pleated air filters used to be the cause of many HVAC breakdowns, because the system's motor would have to work harder than it could handle to extract the air it needed through the hermetically rolled filter. This was years ago, when pleated filters were made of cotton and HVAC motors were nothing special. Pleated air filters are now manufactured with synthetic materials that have smaller individual fibers, which are wound in such a way that air flow and filtering efficiency are maximized. The primary function of an air cleaner is to remove air contaminants from inside your home as they enter the HVAC system.

This is a function where the pleated air filter is successful and the fiberglass air filter fails with a capital F. In situations where modern pleated air filters cause damage to modern HVAC systems, this is usually because the filter is not changed. Contaminants will build up in the filter and, if left for too long, it will eventually become blocked enough to overload the system. This is an easy problem to avoid.

You just need to change your air filter regularly. In the modern era of air filtration, pleated filters outperform their fiberglass counterparts in almost every category. They're much more efficient, they're safer for the air and the HVAC unit, and they're not significantly more expensive. The choice is clear, pleated air filters are what you are looking for for your home.

A pleated filter has a MERV rating of 5+. The higher the MERV index, the greater the amount of particles filtered and the cleaner the air on the other side will be. However, keep in mind that a higher MERV will require more energy for air to pass through, since the material is denser. This makes pleated air filters less suitable for large spaces that require faster air passage.

A typical residential unit and duct network could not easily accommodate these filters because of the greater resistance to air flow and varying sizes. Pleated filters with high MERV indices are very effective in trapping particles even with the smallest sizes. Because of their durability, pleated filters are designed for all types of HVAC systems in commercial, industrial and residential areas where high-quality indoor air is needed. There are many types of filters, such as media filters and HEPA filters, and they all adapt to different circumstances.

Keep reading to discover pleated versus non-pleated air filters, and which ones you should choose for your air conditioning system. An effective air filter combines the efficiency of filtering with air flow to create a product that is effective in removing particles from the air, but that doesn't create unnecessary demand on the HVAC engine by blocking the passage of air. But they're not enough compared to pleated filters when it comes to filtering the smallest pollutants from the air, such as pollen, pet dander, and bacteria. Some of these filters are equipped with wire mesh to help maintain their shape and, at the same time, prevent blockage.

The surface area of the pleated filter is approximately 8.5 square feet, while the one-inch filter measures only 2.7 square feet. Once you've decided on the filter that you've identified as the best for your needs and your home, you can stop to inspect the thing. You want to find the right air cleaner for your apartment, which is 1,200 square feet and is located in the heart of the city. In a commercial environment, pleatless filters are a great way to keep the air clean without spending a lot of money.

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