What is The Best MERV Rating for a Furnace Filter?

Introduction

You’ve probably seen furnaces with MERV ratings and wondered what they meant. This value reflects how efficient a furnace air filter is in capturing various sizes of particles. When choosing the appropriate MERV rating for your air filter, you need to find the right balance between your HVAC system’s abilities and the indoor air quality level you wish to acquire. Before we go on to that topic, let’s first understand what a MERV rating is and how it works.

What Is MERV Rating?

Minimum Performance Reporting Value, often known as MERV, is a method that is used to measure the efficiency of the air filter based on how efficient it is in capturing particles of varied sizes. The value may range between one and twenty, and the higher the filter is, the more effective it is in capturing microscopic particles.

MERV Air Filter Rating Scale

The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) scale has become the gold standard for evaluating air filters. The (ASHRAE)was the organization that first proposed the idea. After then, it is being utilized by everyone to measure the effectiveness of the HVAC air filter. As you can see, the MERV rating scale goes between 1 to 20, having 1 being the least effective and 20 being the most effective. The following is a breakdown of the MERV scale, which shows all of the various MERV levels.

Which MERV rating should you use?

A higher MERV rating means a better filter, but it also means a higher price point. There is probably a MERV filter that can fulfill all your air filtering requirements; it just depends on what those requirements are. If your furnace’s MERV rating is set very high, it will have to work harder than recommended, increasing the risk of breakage. Therefore, to help your requirements, we have outlined the available ratings as per their needs.

• MERV ratings between 1 and 4 can still catch pollen, dust, and other pollutants that seem to be present in your house. Small residential spaces might benefit from air filters from this category.
• MERV ratings 5 to 8 are good enough for most residences, while those rated 9 or above are better for filtration. However, dust mite excrement and other allergens as tiny as 3 microns may be captured by these filters.
• MERV rating 9 to 12,they are mostly employed in commercial and residential facilities where high-quality air is required. This filter prevents the development of mold spores and pollen in textiles, carpeting, and furniture.
• MERV ratings between 13 and 16 can capture at least 90 percent of particles with sizes ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 microns. Or less than 75% of the particles 0.3-1.0 micron in size will be unable to pass through MERV 13 air filters.
• HVAC-system filters having a MERV value of 16 or above are suitable for use in commercial and general medical environments. When it comes to operation theatres, MERV 17 to MERV 20 filters is frequently used.They are very efficient, but they can also be extremely expensive.

Conclusion

The investment in a furnace is a significant financial commitment since it is expected to serve you for a long time. As a result, you need to be certain that the filters you choose have a MERV value that is appropriate. MERV 7-12 filters are widely found in most residential systems, whereas MERV 13-20 filters are frequently found in healthcare and pharmaceuticals industrial operations.

In addition, you should replace the filter every three months, depending on the kind of filter you have. You can always visit Custom Filters Direct for quality MERV air filters.