Have you been using the cheapest air conditioning filter you can find in the Big Box store? I will confess that for a lot of years that is exactly what I did.
You will probably recognize what I am talking about when I described this particular AC filter.
It’s blue and it has a bunch of little swirly looking lines, and it is surrounded by cardboard that holds it all together in a rectangular shape. In case you did not know it, those particular AC filters are almost useless. They are the definition of a waste of money. Yes you put in an AC filter like you are too, but you might as well not have bothered. These types of HVAC filters are fiberglass, or sometimes called spun glass. About the only thing these do is keep big-sized debris from getting into the workings of your air conditioner. They do not help filter particles and definitely do not help provide good indoor air quality. About the only thing that can be said for these kinds of HVAC filters is that they’re cheap. I suppose they are better than nothing, but just barely. The second kind of AC filter you are probably familiar with is The pleated AC filter. I use pleated air conditioning filters in my system right now. They have more surface area and are therefore able to trap more dust and debris from the air. Once you have removed your pleated ac filter, it can be recycled, which I really like too. UV filters are another option. Most people agree that UV Heating and Cooling filters provide good indoor air quality. UV light kills mold and bacteria and germs, so what could be wrong with that?