Furnace Filter Ratings Merv

This is an industry standard rating system.

Furnace filter ratings merv.

In general filters with higher merv ratings are more effective and improve air quality but are also more expensive. This rating system reports how well the filter captures and holds dust. Most airborne contaminants found in residential homes can be removed with an air filter within merv 7 and merv 13. For reference a typical dust particle is between 2 and 8 microns while pollen starts at 7 microns and can get up to 70 microns in size.

Merv stands for minimum efficiency reporting value. Minimum efficiency reporting value merv is a standard that rates the overall effectiveness of air filters. Merv ratings range from 1 to 16. The chart below shows the merv ratings.

For a filter to get the merv 13 rating for example it must filter out a minimum of 90 of the pm10 a minimum of 85 of the pm2 5 and a minimum of 50 of the pm1 0. In fact filters with these merv ratings perform as efficiently as true hepa filters. The range is from 1 lowest efficiency to 20 highest efficiency. Merv ratings above 16 are typically used in specialized commercial settings where air filtration is critical such as hospitals.

While merv ratings reflect a filter s ability to trap both microscopic and macroscopic particles mpr ratings only grade a filter on its capacity to remove particles from 0 3 to 1 microns. Plus higher doesn t always mean better for homeowners. The most recommended merv ratings for residential filters are between merv 7 and merv 13. Below is a chart from john semmelhack showing the percentage of particles removed by size range of particle and the merv rating of the filter.

They all basically trap the same range of particulates particulates such as dust particles mold spores dust mite debris tobacco smoke pet dander and pollen but each filter has a higher capturing capacity the. The higher the merv rating on a filter the fewer dust particles and contaminants can pass through it. What merv should i use in my home furnace. According to this paper there s a well established connection between higher concentrations of particles in outdoor air and poor health outcomes so it would make sense that filtering these particles out of indoor air could lead to better health outcomes.

So while higher merv ratings are more efficient the recommended merv ratings for residential filters are between merv 7 and merv 13. Use this rating system compare filters made by different manufacturers. Furnace and air filters higher than merv 13 are typically found in a hospital environment where.