Clean air is important to having a healthy home.  Small particles in the air can cause allergies and irritation, which greatly reduces quality of life.  One of your first lines of defense against dirty air is your furnace air filter.  These filters help keep the air entering the furnace nice and clean, but they also clean the air you breath as well.  Keeping your furnace air filter clean and in good shape is essential to keep your furnace running well and your air nice and clean.

The key to maintaining your filter is to change them out often.  Most people don't do this enough.  A common recommendation is to change out these filters once every once.  I can tell you that most people do not do this.  In order to make changing out these filters easier, it is good to buy them in bulk and have a good supply on hand waiting to go.

When it comes to actually buying a furnace air filter, there are a couple of different options to choose from.   In short, there are two major types of filters, fiberglass and pleated.  Fiberglass filters are the cheapest option.  These simply have a mesh of fiberglass in a cardboard frame.  A pleated filter is a more efficient design, because it has more surface area to trap dust.  These filters look more or less like an old fashioned washboard, made of a filter material.  Some of these filters are of a reusable design, which means they can be rinsed out and reinstalled, rather than simply being thrown out, as is the case with other filters.

When it comes to rating these furnace filters, a number called a MERV rating is used.  This number rates the ability of a filter to catch small particles.  If a filter has a higher MERV rating, it is better at catching particles. This rating can be used to compare different sorts of filters to each other, since it is a standard rating.  If you need better filtering, go for a higher number filter.

As for size, this will probably be dictated by the type of furnace you own.  Check the guidelines on your furnace to make sure you get a filter that fits.  If your filter is too small, it will not do an effective job at filtering out particles, which is the purpose of the filter.

As you can seeing, buying furnace filters is relatively straightforward.  Replace them often, get an efficient filter, and make sure you have the right size.  If you follow these simple guidelines, you should  enjoy excellent air quality in your home while prolonging the life of your furnace.