It’s time to change the air filter in your home or in your business. You head out to the store and discover two options, fiberglass filters and pleated filters with wire mesh backing. What are the differences and why are the pleated filters twice as expensive as the fiberglass filters?
Understanding Fiberglass Filters
Your first instinct might be to grab the fiberglass filters. After all, they’re half as expensive as the pleated filter. That’s a good deal, right? Fiberglass filters may be cheap, but there’s a reason. Fiberglass filters are actually made out of spun glass or fiberglass. They have a recommended lifespan of only 30 days. While they can catch things like dust, lint, and insects, they miss a lot of smaller contaminants. If you are on a budget and no one in your household or office suffers from allergies, fiberglass filters can be a good choice for you. Just be ready to replace them every month!
Understanding Pleated Filters
For several reasons, pleated filters are often a better deal than fiberglass filters even if you will have to spend more out of pocket in the short term. Pleated filters are made with synthetic fibers that are held in place by a wire mesh. Pleated filters are more durable than fiberglass filters, lasting for a recommended 90 days. That means you’ll only have to change them out every three months instead of every month like fiberglass filters.
For this reason alone, pleated filters are a better deal than fiberglass filters. While they might be twice as expensive as fiberglass filters, they last three times as long, so you’ll actually save money in the long run.
The true reason to choose pleated filters over fiberglass filters, however, is because pleated filters offer much better filtering. Unlike a fiberglass filter, a pleated filter can also catch mold, pet dander, pollen, and dust mites. If you have pets in your household, or if someone is sensitive to pollen and dust, then pleated filters really are the best choice for you.
Here at Lawrence Sintered Metals, we manufacture and sell metal mesh backing that can be used to make pleated filters. If you are interested in learning more about our different metal mesh options, contact us today, and a representative would be happy to help!
Example image from Trion Filters
