If you own a home with an HVAC furnace system, filters will be the next thing you find on your shopping list.
Using your furnace without a filter means a shortened lifespan for the system as a whole, as there are many contaminants that get sucked into the ducts by the fans, as well as the unhealthy air inside your house, and these contaminations will basically recirculate into the air you breathe.
Fiberglass and Pleated Furnace Filters Comparison
FIBERGLASS FURNACE FILTER
- Affordable
- Traps large particle
- Lightweight
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PLEATED FURNACE FILTER
- Traps small and large particles
- Affordable in the long run
- Lasts longer
A Closer Look
Using a furnace with the wrong kind of filter is also a no-go. If the filter has a dense surface, it could cause the blower fan to overload and have to work harder to pull in the amount of air it needs. On the other hand, a filter with a lower MERV rating means its surface isn’t dense enough to trap the contaminant needed to keep the system safe and the air clean.
Fiberglass and pleated filters are two of the most common types of disposable products designed for your furnace. Yet, they are very different from one another. So, which one of them is best suited for your situation?
Defining the Filters
Fiberglass filters are usually an inch thick and are created in a web pattern of spun glass, set up in multiple layers. Usually, the framing is cardboard or metal. These filters work by trapping contaminant particles in the webs, which overlap in a way that refuses entrance of the large particles in the air.
Pleated filters utilize either a synthetic polyester material or cotton, woven into sheets of paper and pleated. The woven fabric then filters out large and small particles of contaminants from the air as it is drawn through the furnace or HVAC system intake.
So, how do these two types of furnace filters compare? Take a look at some of the important aspects of each for a direct comparison.
Fiberglass Filters
Efficiency
In terms of MERV rating, or the measure of the ability to filter out even small particles, fiberglass ranks fairly low. They are typically only available with low MERV ratings, meaning they are not capable of filtering out smaller particles. These are usually not suitable if you have asthma or severe allergies, if you have a large family, or if you have a smoker in your home. However, your furnace has specifications, and some require a lower MERV rating to avoid the system working too hard. In those situations, the fiberglass filter might be to your advantage.
Time and Maintenance
Because they are typically weaker, and things like pet hair and dander can actually work to ‘break’ some of the threads of fiberglass, these furnace filters don’t have a lot of longevity. It’s recommended that you replace them every 30 days, which means you have to make sure you have plenty of new filters around to make sure you don’t have to run out to the store. It also increases the amount of labor involved in other types of filters.
Financial Benefits and Concerns
If you’re looking for a solution that saves you money upfront, you’re probably going to like the price tag on fiberglass filters. They are beyond reasonable in price, so you barely even notice the change they add to your grocery bill. However, since you have to replace them so often, the cost can add up throughout the year.
Availability and Variety
Again, when it comes to MERV ratings, fiberglass filters are limited to the lower end of the spectrum, usually only offering choices between a rating of one and four or five. That means they don’t have a lot of options in terms of more efficient filters for smaller particles. However, if you have an unusual or custom filter size that isn’t one of the most common ones, you’ll be more likely to find what you’re looking for in a fiberglass filter, since mass-producing a less expensive product, even in alternate sizes, is simple.
Pleated Filters
Efficiency
Pleated filters offer an advantage in this area. First, the pleating means they actually have a greater surface area, which allows for the capture of more contaminants in the same amount of space. In addition, these are offered in a much broader range of MERV ratings, meaning that you can get one that traps the smaller particles, which include the main contaminants responsible for irritating any breathing conditions.
Time and Maintenance
Pleated filters are more durable and last longer. These should be replaced every 90 days unless you have a very large family or special conditions that create excess contaminants in your home, in which case you may have to switch them out a little more frequently. This is also less laborious for you.
Financial Benefits and Concerns
By comparison, pleated filters are a bit more expensive to purchase, mostly because they are higher quality and more durable. While that might seem like a deterrent, consider that you only replace them 1/3 as often as you’re going to have to replace a fiberglass filter. That means that, if they are less than three times the price of a fiberglass filter, you’re saving money in the long run, and that is most likely the case.
Availability and Variety
With pleated filters, you’ll find a wide variety of MERV ratings available. These are made to work with furnaces of any specification in terms of MERV rating, as well as to be more efficient at removing the smaller toxins that often cause allergic reactions. At the same time, you’re less likely to find one of those odd sizes, and in order to do so, you may have to go to a specialty provider, since these are more expensive to manufacture and aren’t widely available in uncommon sizes.
Conclusion
Are you looking to save money or are you looking to buy a filter that can trap as many contaminants as possible? The answer to this question will determine which of these two filter types is more suitable for your furnace system. There are a lot of variables to this equation, especially if you live in a larger home and have a big family.
Pleated filters have a media surface with a greater capacity to trap particles and contaminants, which makes them more suitable for large homes, for houses that are built next to roads (which typically means that a lot more dust gets inside the house), or for people with respiratory problems that can have all sort of attacks triggered by airborne particles. Fiberglass filters, on the other hand, are compatible with basically every type of filter, as one of their main advantages is the fact that they allow greater airflow to pass through their surface. This means that the chances of your furnace system malfunctioning because of a blower fan overheating are reduced.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
