This is one of the few situations where something being cleaner is not necessarily better.
If you live in a house or apartment with central air (aka, the heating and cooling system integrated into your home), you’re likely familiar with air filters.
Air filters help improve indoor air quality by trapping particles like dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, and bacteria. While these filters can benefit anybody, they’re particularly important for people with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions.
Plus, they keep your HVAC system running smooth and energy efficient (aka a lower electric bill).
It’s recommended that you change or clean your filters every one to three months, depending on the filter type and your home environment.
What type of filter is best?
In a viral video with more than 1.3 million views, one-half of a home expert duo @twinhomeexperts, who specializes in pest control, explained why buying the more expensive, higher-quality filters might not be the right move.
While walking in Home Depot, the expert (who’s also advised on fridge water filters and what toilets to buy) noticed that a customer bought a few packs of relatively high-quality filters. At $24.47 for each two-pack, the man spent $73.41 on filters alone—pricey, right?
See, his filters scored a 7 for the filter performance rating
“Here’s the problem, and it’s a big, expensive problem. Most people don’t know this,” the expert said. “Stay far away from these high-performance filters.”
In the filter section, Home Depot has a chart showing that the products are rated from Good to Better to Best to Premium.
The higher the rating, the smaller the particles it’ll pick up. Some premium filters are usually made of higher-quality and thicker materials. This means they can pick up smoke, bacteria, and even some viruses that their “good” counterparts can’t.
They need to be replaced less often as well, lasting three to six months instead of one to three months.
Despite all that, it seems they’re not the best for everyone.
The expert pointed out that because of their dense build, these filters can restrict airflow from the HVAC system. This can potentially lead to an increased energy bill and, more importantly, cause damage to your unit. Other HVAC experts agreed.
In this situation, the expert recommends using cheaper filters (unless you have a health need for a higher-quality system).
@twinhomeexperts Dont do it! A/C air filter BUYING TIPS most people dont know! #homedepot #productreview #airfilter #homeownertips ♬ Hypnotize (Instrumental) [2014 Remaster] – The Notorious B.I.G.
Viewers weigh in
“I work in hvac and honestly just get the cheapest ones and swap them out every month,” the top comment read.
“Ha! no wonder my electric bill went up from $89 to $295… I have the highest rated filter. Changing it asap,” a person shared.
“My allergies say different,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to the Twin Trap experts via email and Instagram direct message.
This story has been updated to correct a typo.
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