Are 4-inch Air Filters Better for Your Home?

When it comes to improving air quality in your home, a 4-inch air filter has a clear advantage over a 1-inch filter. It offers better longevity, airflow, and filtration potential. So, if it fits your oven, then a 4-inch air cleaner is the way to go. The main reason why 4-inch filters are better is because they cover a wider range of MERV ratings.

With a 4-inch filter, you'll get at least an 8 MERV rating, and with higher ratings of up to 16, you can control supermicro contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and dust particles. The reason media filters work better is because they have more surface area. These 4-inch media filters can have 20-30 feet of surface area with their pleated (accordion) filter material. This means that they can trap more debris without clogging up as quickly.

With more surface area to trap contaminants in the air, a 4-media air filter offers a longer lifespan than a 1-medium air filter. This means fewer filter changes and less money spent on replacements. The 20x25x4 air filter is larger than other oven filters and has a thickness of four inches. This larger size offers more surface area to capture more particles and germs from the airflow.

It works better and lasts longer than other cheaper disposable air filters. As a result, homeowners don't need to change 20x25x4 air filters as often. Most HVAC technicians recommend changing 1-inch air filters every 30 days, while 4-inch filters can be changed every 3-6 months. The standard dimensions of the oven filter (length and width) have nothing to do with its efficiency.

We measure how well an air filter removes dust, pollen, and smoke from the air, and we see how freely air flows through the filter at any fan speed. Regardless of the thickness of the filter, homeowners and businesses should inspect their filter regularly to ensure that it is not full of contaminants. If you opt for a 4-inch filter, you would get a filter with at least a MERV 8 rating, which would remove contaminants up to 3 microns (one unit of measure), including dust mites and some types of pollen. Particularly vulnerable parts include the air controller or oven blower motor that works overtime to push and draw air through the dirty filter and the heat pump or air conditioning compressor responsible for circulating refrigerant between the outdoor and indoor units. If you have an oven in the house, you may need to replace the clogged filter every 2 to 6 months. However, with most HVAC systems, you should be able to adapt a media filter cabinet, either under the oven or on the side.