What Is The Best Merv Rating For Air Filters

Which MERV Rating Filter Should You lot Employ in Your Dwelling?

Yous may have noticed MERV filter ratings on diverse air filters but may be wondering what is a MERV rating on filters? This rating indicates how effective a filter is at capturing unlike sizes of particles. Read on to learn more about the MERV rating and how to choose the best 1 for your habitation.

What Is MERV Rating on Filters?

If you'd like to know what a MERV rating is, you're in the right identify. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. In short, a MERV rating lets you know what air particle size an air filter volition trap. A higher rating means that the filter can trap smaller air particles.

While you may automatically think that a higher MERV rating means a better air filter, that's not always the instance. Higher MERV ratings aren't always necessary and can decrease your unit'southward efficiency. The best MERV rating volition be the one that suits your needs and lets your unit run efficiently.

The History of MERV Rating

In 1987, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers designed the MERV rating calibration to give a more accurate film of an air filter's capabilities. Unlike other scales, which emphasized a need to increase the number of particles passing through an air filter, MERV was designed to offering a balance between particle filtering and energy efficiency.

The Importance of MERV Rating

A MERV rating is of import because it helps yous understand an air filter's effectiveness then you lot tin cull the right one for your particular needs. For example, if you have someone in your home who suffers from allergies, yous may want a higher MERV rating.

The MERV calibration also helps yous balance your air quality and free energy efficiency needs. The rating gives yous the worst-case possibility for an air filter, so y'all can get a adept idea of how it will perform. Yous tin become by with a lower MERV rating and salvage coin on your energy bill in some cases.

MERV Rating Chart

Understanding the MERV Rating Chart

Once you understand how the MERV rating chart works, you'll be able to cull air filters with the MERV ratings that are right for you. It's of import to note that the MERV scale is an industry-standard. Equally such, you can use information technology to compare different brands of air filters.

The MERV rating chart is a numerical chart with values from one through 20. The highest MERV ranking means that an air filter volition capture the about corporeality of grit, while the everyman rating means a filter will catch the least amount of grit.

The nautical chart also uses percentages based on the chances of an air filter capturing dust particles based on the size of the microns. Equally the MERV rating goes upwards, a filter has college chances of capturing smaller and smaller particles.

MERV Rating Levels

While the MERV chart covers 20 levels, these levels tin be grouped to requite y'all an idea of what a certain range of levels can capture and how effective each will exist. If you lot're wondering what MERV rating should I utilise, this department can assist you out.

MERV Rating 1-6

A MERV rating of 1-6 is the lowest range of MERV ratings, but that doesn't necessarily hateful that you should write off a filter with a rating in this range. These types of filters do have their uses in certain situations. Well-nigh aluminum and mesh filters and cheap air filters autumn within this range.

What It Can Remove

A filter with a MERV rating of between i-six can remove particles anywhere between 0.3 to x microns with an effectiveness of 20%. It can remove small particles such as dust mites, spray paint dust, carpet fibers, and pollen.

Inexpensive and energy-efficient
Not as taxing on your HVAC organization

Merely filters out the largest of particles
Not slap-up for people with allergies or asthma
Recommended Use: Industrial

These filters are all-time used in industrial settings where there is already a decent amount of airflow, and there isn't as much need to remove smaller particles.

MERV Rating viii-13

Filters with a MERV rating of 8-13 are usually higher-end filters for home utilize or loftier-quality commercial filters. These filters are typically the right option for use in homes and many businesses.

What It Tin can Remove

A filter that falls within the viii-xiii range tin remove mold spores, lead dust, cooking dust, flour, hair spray, automobile fumes, furniture polish, and welding fumes. They can catch anywhere from 20-85% of all particles.

Suitable for people with allergies or asthma
Blocks out a more extensive range of particles

Somewhat costlier
Not equally free energy-efficient

Recommended Use: Dwelling

Filters in this range are the recommended MERV rating for furnace filters. They offer a mix of filtration and energy efficiency to go on your dwelling house safe while still cost-effective.

MERV Rating fourteen-20

Filters with the highest MERV rating of xiv-20 include commercial, HEPA, and ULPA filters. These filters offer the highest level of filtration and are typically not needed in well-nigh homes and businesses.

What It Tin Remove

These filters can remove smoke, bacteria, sneezes, carbon grit, and viruses. These are often removed at levels of 90% or improve.

Superior levels of filtration
Tin can fifty-fifty protect from viruses and bacteria

Expensive
Not energy efficient

Recommended Utilise: Hospitals & Laboratories

Filters rated between 14-xx are typically only used in hospitals and laboratories, where air needs to be every bit make clean as possible.

Other Ratings vs. MERV Rating

Other ratings include the MPR developed by 3M and FPR developed past Home Depot. These scales have different ranges than the MERV rating but typically mensurate against similar factors. MERV rating is superior because it's the international standard and makes it easier to compare filters from different brands.

MERV Rating Pro Tips

These MERV rating pro tips can help you lot brand the best choices nigh which air filter y'all demand.

College Is Not Ever Better

A higher MERV rating isn't ever improve. While higher-rated filters tin trap more particles, they can also put additional strain on your HVAC unit of measurement and cause your free energy bill to become up. In most situations, a filter somewhere in the heart is more than sufficient.

Best Air Filter for Your Home

In general, the all-time MERV rating for a home is somewhere between 8-10. These filters will capture a large portion of the airborne particles and improve indoor air quality without making your free energy costs rise significantly.

Do Not Max Out Your Filter

Neglecting to change your air filter can cause all sorts of issues. The biggest trouble is that it causes your A/C to piece of work overtime, which results in higher energy bills. Irresolute your air filter regularly keeps your unit working as information technology should.

Buy in Bulk and Save

You lot can relieve time and coin by buying filters in majority. The more filters you purchase at once, the more than you can save.

Society & Subscribe to Regular Commitment With Filter Rex

If you want to supplant your air filter to be fifty-fifty more user-friendly, you lot tin can subscribe to our regular delivery service. You simply option your air filter size, choose how oft you want to replace it, and we'll brand sure that your new filter is there when you need information technology.

100% Made in the USA

Yous know that you're getting the best of quality as all of our filters are made at our warehouse in Alabama. We pride ourselves on providing you lot with the best air filters.

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Your order ships rapidly, and aircraft is always free. Our service guarantees that you take a new air filter when y'all need information technology.

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