Many people do not realize that the air inside their homes is often far worse than the air that they are breathing outside the home. Most people also do not realize that by using a high quality air filter in their furnace or air conditioner, they can dramatically reduce airborne particulates inside their home - the same kinds of particulates that can cause the wheezing and sneezing and irritations that we all sometimes feel. We decided to take a look at a couple of different high-end filter products to test their effectiveness.
We visited 3M, makers of the "Filtrete" line of air filters - and we really liked what we found. 3M have assembled a complete line of great disposable filters that work wonders in reducing indoor contaminants. Their products include:
Incidentally, we loved the Filtrete ultra-allergen best of all, but it's hard to imagine many people paying $17.95 for a disposable filter which must be replaced every month or two.
Another site we visited and found interesting was riteair.com. They have a large selection of innovative washable and reusable filters of very high quality, and they can manufacture virtually any size filter to your custom specifications. So if you are having trouble finding a great filter to fit your furnace or air conditioner, or you simply want a filter that you will never have to replace, you might want to give them a try.
Their models include:
Importantly, Riteair filters do not contain polyester which is found in many of the cheaper filters, and this means:
- Much lower maintenance than many competing permanent filters.
- Their filters rinse clean, which means that trapped contaminants wont re-circulate inside your home after cleaning.
While the Riteair filters are not inexpensive, Riteair does seem to have reasonable pricing, a great selection, offers free shipping and provided us with excellent customer service. Their filters turned out to be some of the finest quality permanent filters that we have ever seen. Their home page is at www.riteair.com