Natural gas is more efficient than electricity production. Electrical production consumes a great amount of energy, with only about 30 percent of the energy used to produce electricity reaching your home – that’s a 70 percent loss of energy just in electricity’s production. Alternatively, 90 percent of the natural gas entering the utility system reaches your home, limiting the loss to only 10 percent. Natural gas homes produce less negative impacts on the environment – natural gas homes produce up to 50 percent less than homes operating on electricity only.

The Numbers

Of fossil fuels, natural gas is the cleanest option. The use of natural gas lowers the number of greenhouse gases and carbon emitted by your household. Natural gas generates less carbon dioxide than these commonly-used heating fuels:

• 45 percent less than coal
• 30 percent less compared to oil
• 15 percent less versus wood

MERV 16 filters will remove such contaminants as most tobacco smoke, paint pigments, sneeze particles and bacteria, cooking oil, and powders such as face powder and insecticides, as well as larger particulates including pollen, sanding and spray paint dust, cement dust, pudding mix, pet dander, dust and dust mites, mold spores, insect debris, textile and carpet fibers, fabric protectants, hairspray, dusting aids, welding fumes, nebulizer droplets, legionella, auto emissions, flour, and dust produced by humidifiers and lead.

The Numbers:

• Removes contaminant particles as small as 0.3 microns
• Ideal for use in environments where contaminant control is critical, such as hospitals and surgical suites
• Change or clean every 9-12 months, or according to the manufacturer’s specifications

A MERV 15 filter will eliminate contaminants including sneeze particles, bacteria, most tobacco smoke, cooking oil, pigments from paint, and fine powders such as face powder and insecticides in addition to larger contaminant particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust, and dust mites, mold spores, sanding and spray paint dust, cement dust, pudding mix, fabric protectants, insect debris, textile and carpet fibers, hairspray, dusting aids, welding fumes, nebulizer droplets, flour, legionella, auto emissions, and dust produced by humidifiers and lead.

The Numbers:

• Removes contaminant particles as small as 0.3 microns
• Ideal for those with multiple pets; those suffering from allergies, asthma, and respiratory illnesses or have compromised immune systems.
• Change or clean every 9-12 months, or according to the manufacturer’s specifications

Use MERV 11 filters to eliminate contaminants such as a humidifier and lead dust, automobile emissions, welding fumes, legionella, milled flour, and nebulizer drops in addition to larger particles like pollen, mold, pet dander, dust and dust mites, carpet and textile fibers, insect debris, sanding and spray paint dust, cement dust, pudding mixes, fabric protector, dusting aids, and hair spray.

The Numbers:

• Removes contaminant particles as small as 1 micron
• Ideal for those with multiple pets; those suffering from allergies, asthma, and respiratory illnesses or have compromised immune systems; and sterile healthcare environments
• Change or clean every 6-9 months, or according to the manufacturer’s specifications

Whole-house humidifiers utilize a water panel, commonly referred to as a humidifier filter. Humidifier water panels should be replaced at least once per year and sometimes more than once per year depending on how much the humidifier runs and the mineral content, or hardness, of the water in your area. Higher calcium and other mineral content in your water will cause the humidifier filter to clog and deteriorate more quickly, calling for the replacement of the water panel more often.

Portable Room Humidifiers

Portable room humidifiers typically utilize wicks or other small filters to capture or minimize mineral build-up. The humidifier should come with an owner’s manual from the manufacturer to give instructions on filter replacement.