Air Conditioning Filters Merv Rating

Merv is the minimum efficiency reporting value which is the scale designed by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to rate the effectiveness of air filters.

Air conditioning filters merv rating.

Merv filter ratings and efficiency. They remove large airborne particles that could otherwise damage your heater or air conditioner but they do little in the way of improving your indoor air quality. Due to the dusty air in our area. The merv rating on an air filter was designed by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to rate the effectiveness of air filters.

An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter. 1 4 merv this is the lowest end of filters. The higher the merv rating the more efficient the filter and the more a filter can catch harmful pollutants. The smaller pores in more highly rated air filters create resistance to air.

The american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioner engineers ashare recommends a merv 6 or. However high merv filters offer superior filtration trapping everything from construction dust and tobacco smoke to bacteria. The most recommended merv ratings for residential filters are. So the higher merv rating the higher its performance.

The merv rating system helps you choose the filter right for you with each rating dictating the effectiveness of a filter. The other two systems were created by 3m mpr and the home depot fpr to differentiate their offerings. Many whole house filters list a minimum efficiency reporting value merv developed by ashrae formerly the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers. But does that mean you should just get the air filter with the highest merv rating.

In other words merv ratings indicate an air filter s ability to remove pollutants from the air. When selecting the right filter for your application higher is not always better. If we were looking to buy a new filter today for our hvac heating ventilation and air conditioning system we d aim for a medium efficiency filter with a merv rating in the 8 to 13 range. Using an air filter with a merv rating higher than what your furnace or air conditioner manufacturer recommends can actually impair its performance.

Basically the higher merv rating indicates higher filtering performance. First and foremost your air becomes cleaner which can help improve the longevity of your hvac system. The merv rating system is intended to be used to determine the filter s ability to remove particulates from the air.