Over the last year, I have neglected my HVAC system. I know that I have, and I find no pride in admitting it. I didn’t know the necessity of changing out my air filters at least every other month. I also found out that in some cases, it was necessary to change the air filters once a month. I was really surprised to be told this. I had been neglecting my HVAC system, but it wasn’t done on purpose. Neglecting my HVAC and not changing the air filters was done through ignorance. Since then, I have gone on a mission to learn all I can about the care of the furnace and the air conditioning systems. The first thing I did was to learn about air filters. I found out that air filters have ratings, just like insulation and HVAC units. The air filter has a MERV rating, which is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rating lets the consumer know just how well the air filter will filter the air. I learned that some air filters are made to filter out up to ninety-five percent of all contaminants. I am pretty sure that our local hospital must use the best air filters so they can keep the air quality a germ-free environment. I read that these air filters are even able to filter the germs that come from the sneeze. I didn’t feel that I needed something that highly MERV rated, but I knew I wanted a good air filter for my home. I did consider the HEPA air filter, but the cost was really extravagant. I chose to see I couldn’t find them a bit cheaper, online.