Most people seem to understand the importance of changing the air filters in your home frequently. As they become built up with the particulates that restrict the air flow, the dirt and debris that float in the air are collected in these filters. The central air system and indoor air quality’s efficiency are hindered when the air filters are responsible for restricting the air flow. Making the difference is a quality air filter and a part of the right kind of filter is the MERV rating. Today, we at Air Supply Heating and Air Conditioning would like to elaborate on MERV ratings.

What is a Minimum Efficiency Rating Value?

Giving you the opportunity to compare the different filters available, an industry standard rating system is known as the Minimum Efficiency Rating Value, or the MERV rating. The MERV rating gives you efficiency of how well the filter captures and holds dirt and dust of a specified size range, the rating is based on numerical value ranging from 1, lowest efficiency, to 20, highest efficiency. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE, developed the MERV air filter efficiency rating system. The particle size is the rating system known as the ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2007 by the method of testing general ventilation air-cleaning devices for removal efficiency. In place to make certain that the testing of filter performance on particles of nominal 0.3-10 micron in diameter is reliable and consistent, the standard 52.2 sets the testing protocols. The guidelines set the performance of the filter based on the particle size, ranging from 0.3 – 10 microns, which is typically based on when the filter is first installed.

What MERV Rating Should I Use

The better the filter will be at collecting the smaller particle sizes from the air with the higher the MERV rating. Commonly used to protect equipment are filters with a MERV of 1 – 4, this is designed to remove large particles. When the average particle size efficiency from 3 to 10 micron is less than 20% for these values and they are often found in light industrial and residential applications. Though optimally used in applications where it is important to protect individuals or processes from airborne contaminants that could otherwise impact health and productivity, the filters with a MERV 5 – 16 ratings are engineered to remove finer particles.

What is the Best MERV Rating for Furnace Filters?

For air filters are as follows is the basic guideline of the MERV rating.
MERV 1 – 4: Minimum filtration is commonly found in residential buildings.
MERV 5 – 8: Generally used in commercial applications and best utilized in residential buildings.
MERV 9 – 12: In residential buildings is supreme and ideal in commercial buildings.
MERV 13 – 16: Usually applied in hospital inpatient and general surgery as well as superiorly used in commercial buildings.
MERV 17 – 20: For clean rooms and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
To grade the filters, this gives you the general idea of how the MERV rating works. Changing filters routinely and getting your professional maintenance throughout the year can keep your HVAC system up to par and maintain the quality of your indoor air quality.

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