Media Air Cleaners

What Is An HVAC Media Air Cleaner?

A media air cleaner is a whole-house filtration system that works with your existing HVAC to dramatically improve air quality:

• Cabinet-Mounted Filter System: Media air cleaners are installed in your return ductwork, typically near the air handler in your attic or wherever your HVAC equipment lives. The system consists of a metal cabinet housing a thick, pleated filter through which all your home's air passes before entering the HVAC system for heating or cooling.
• Filters Air For The Entire Home: Unlike portable air purifiers that clean one room, a whole-house media air cleaner treats all the air circulating through your HVAC system. Every time your heating or air conditioning runs, air gets filtered, removing contaminants before they reach your living spaces.
• Uses Advanced Filter Media: The filter itself is 4-5 inches thick compared to standard one-inch filters, with deeply pleated material creating a massive surface area. This design captures far more particles without restricting airflow, which would make your HVAC work harder.
• Different From Standard Furnace Filters: Your furnace filter's job is to protect HVAC equipment from large debris. A media air cleaner's job is to improve the air you breathe by removing microscopic particles that standard filters miss completely because they pass right through.
• Works Silently With No Electricity: Media air cleaners use your HVAC system's existing blower to move air through the filter, requiring no additional electricity or making any noise. You get cleaner air without higher energy bills or operational sounds.

Call 337-363-1866 to learn more about whole-house media air cleaners.

How Does A Media Air Cleaner Differ From A Standard Filter?

The differences are dramatic in both performance and maintenance requirements:

• Filter Thickness & Surface Area: Standard filters are one inch thick with limited surface area. Media filters are 4-5 inches thick with pleated material providing up to 40 times more filtering capacity. More surface area means capturing more particles without restricting airflow.
• MERV Ratings & Efficiency: Standard filters typically rate MERV 8-10, capturing larger particles but allowing smaller allergens through. Media air cleaners use MERV 11-15 filters, removing 85-99% of particles down to one micron, including pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and dust that standard filters miss.
• Replacement Frequency: Standard one-inch filters need monthly or quarterly replacemen,t depending on usage. Media filters last 6-12 months because the increased surface area takes longer to fill with captured particles, saving you money and maintenance hassle.
• Air Quality Impact: Standard filters keep HVAC equipment clean but don't significantly improve breathing air. Media air cleaners dramatically reduce airborne allergens, dust accumulation on furniture, and respiratory irritation for people with allergies or asthma living in the home.
• Installation Differences: Standard filters slide into a slot at your air handler. Media air cleaners require professional installation with a dedicated cabinet mounted in your ductwork, but once installed they're just as easy to maintain—open the cabinet door, slide out the old filter, slide in a new filter.

Media air cleaners are a significant upgrade over standard filtration. Call 337-363-1866 for installation.

Media Air Cleaner FAQs

How Often Do Media Air Cleaner Filters Need Replacement?

Replacement frequency depends on usage and environmental factors, but media filters last much longer than standard filters:

• Typical Replacement Every 6-12 Months: Most homes need filter changes once or twice yearly, compared to monthly changes for standard filters. The thick, pleated design holds far more captured particles before airflow restriction becomes noticeable.
• Heavy Use Shortens Lifespan: If you run your HVAC fan continuously for better air circulation, have multiple pets shedding constantly, or live near construction kicking up dust, expect to replace filters closer to every six months rather than annually.
• Check Filters Every Few Months: Open the cabinet and visually inspect your media filter every 3-4 months. If it looks heavily loaded with dust and debris, replace it even if it hasn't been six months. Clogged filters restrict airflow and make your HVAC work harder.
• Replacement Is Simple: Media filter replacement takes two minutes—open the cabinet door, pull out the old filter, slide in the new one, and close the door. No tools needed, no complicated procedures, just straightforward maintenance anyone can handle themselves.
• Buy Filters From Your Installer: We provide replacement filters sized exactly for your media air cleaner model. Buying correct filters ensures proper fit and maintains manufacturer specifications for filtration efficiency and airflow performance.

We'll show you how to change filters during installation. Call 337-363-1866 for media air cleaner service.

What Are The Benefits Of A Whole-House Media Air Cleaner?

Media air cleaners deliver measurable improvements in air quality and comfort:

• Allergy & Asthma Relief: Removing 85-99% of airborne allergens like pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores means fewer allergy symptoms, less asthma triggering, and easier breathing for everyone in your household, especially during Louisiana's brutal pollen seasons.
• Less Dust Accumulation: You'll notice less dust settling on furniture, countertops, and floors because the media filter captures particles before they circulate through your home. Less dust means less cleaning, which saves time and keeps your house looking better longer.
• Protects HVAC Equipment: Superior filtration keeps dust and debris from accumulating on blower motors, evaporator coils, and other HVAC components. Cleaner equipment runs more efficiently, lasts longer, and needs repairs less frequently than systems running with inadequate filtration.
• Removes Odors With Carbon Filters: Some media filters include activated carbon for odor absorption, removing cooking smells, pet odors, and other unpleasant scents as air circulates through your HVAC system without sprays or air fresheners masking problems.
• Low Maintenance Operation: With filter changes only 1-2 times yearly and no electrical components to fail, media air cleaners provide superior air quality with minimal ongoing maintenance compared to portable air purifiers requiring constant attention and multiple filter replacements.

Media air cleaners are one of the best investments for indoor air quality. Call 337-363-1866 to discuss installation.