Over 50 million Americans have allergies.

Currently, there isn’t any cure for allergies. But the good news is you can manage them with the right prevention and treatment. 

You can also make life easier by stopping the things that trigger your allergies in the first place. Things like improving the air quality of your home.

If you’ve been thinking about buying allergy air filters, but you’re not sure if they work, this article is for you! Could the correct type of air filter help you breathe easily? Read on to find out.

Do Air Filters Help Allergies?

We have good news; allergy air filters can be effective. However, you have to make sure you’re buying the correct type. If you want the best indoor air quality, you’ll need to get an air filter that goes above and beyond.

Buy air filters made explicitly for allergies. You’ll find that a lot of allergy-specific air filters can last for a long time. They don’t have to cost a ton either if you buy smart.

Sites like www.discountfilters.com can help the price-savvy shopper. When buying filters, make sure that they have the proper MERV rating. 

Find the Proper MERV Rating

What exactly does the MERV rating mean on allergy air filters? MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value. It’s a way of showing the product’s efficiency.

The rating lets you know how effective an air filter is on a scale of 1 to 16. The higher the score, the more efficient the air filter.

The score indicates the filter’s ability to trap the tiniest particles you don’t want in your air. When there’s a high MERV  rating, the filters trap more particles.

You’ll want to stay away from any air filters with a low rating of eight since this won’t help with your allergies. A MERV 8 rating can catch some allergens, but not many. Once you upgrade to a MERV  11 air filter, you’ll be experiencing much better indoor air quality. 

MERV 11 is a great start, but we suggest going one step further if you have severe allergies.  Splurge for an air filter with a MERV 13 rating that uses pleated filters.

Certain types of filtration are only available for specific HVAC systems. You’ll need to double-check with your furnace manufacturer to see if a MERV 13 filter will fit in your home. If not, sticking with MERV 11 air filters is an intelligent way to go.

Should You Get Hepa Allergy Air Filters?

For those with severe allergies, we suggest looking into HEPA filters. HEPA filters are one of the best air filters to help with allergies, and they can keep you safe in other ways. You’ll be keeping harmful bacteria, and viruses out of the air too!

HEPA filter stands for high energy particulate absorbing filter. These filters are more expensive than traditional brands, but they can last for 10 years!

When used correctly, HEPA filters can reduce all sorts of airborne contaminants in your home. You’ll also be able to get rid of a lot of the dust, mold, and random spores that are aggravating your allergies.

Keep Your HVAC System Squeaky Clean

Having an allergy-efficient filter is just the start. It would help if you also kept your HVAC clean.

You should clean your condensing unit periodically, and visually inspect your outdoor unit too. You’ll also need to maintain your HVAC systems evaporator coils, drain pipe and drain pan.

We suggest calling an HVAC company to perform regular maintenance. Keeping your HVAC system clean can save you money too.

By maintaining your system throughout the year, you’ll be able to avoid unexpected breakdowns. When a small problem starts to pop up, you can get it taken care of before it turns into something bigger.

Frequent Filter Changes

On top of maintaining your HVAC system, you’ll also need to change your filters as frequently as necessary. Even if the filter is supposed to last for 6 months, you may find yourself having to replace it in less time.

Your household conditions will impact how frequently you need to change your filters. For instance, do you have pets in your home? Do you live with a large family?

The more foot traffic there is, the more frequently you’ll need to change your filter. You may also find that you need to change your filter more often if you have severe allergies.

Avoid These Air Filter Mistakes

Each system will require a specific air filter size to fit perfectly. You want the filter to fit snugly without having to force it in.

It’s also vital that the filter is secure enough to cover the flow of air completely. An adequately fitted filter will capture the most particles, which is good news for your allergies.

Along with finding the right size, you also need to install the filter correctly. The filter should always have an arrow pointing towards the HVAC system.

When the arrow is pointing towards the HVAC system, filtration is taking place. If the arrow is not pointing towards the HVAC system, the air is being pushed through the filter, but there’s no filtration. Poor installation means you won’t get any of the allergy cutting benefits.

Another issue with placing the filter in the wrong direction is that it’ll cause your air conditioning unit to have to work harder. It’ll be more challenging to pull the air through, which can stress your HVAC system over time.

Breathe Fresh Clean Air

Do air filters help allergies? Now you know the truth, they do! As long as you find suitable allergy air filters, you can enjoy crisp, clean indoor air.

The sooner you change your air filter, the better you’ll feel. So start looking at the best air filters for allergies today.

Find out what air filters will work with your HVAC system, and double-check their MERV rating. Buy a few backup filters, too, so that you’ll be able to change them easily. For more ways to feel great, read another one of our posts.