High Efficiency Furnace Filters Merv Rating

When shopping for furnace air filters don t confuse merv with other rating systems that may appear on packaging especially from big box home improvement stores.

High efficiency furnace filters merv rating.

The american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning developed this rating as a way of identifying a filter s ability to trap air pollutants and particles. If your family has health or allergy issues then you may want to look for a high efficiency filter that s merv 11 or higher. A low merv rating means that the filter does not remove as many particulates from the air. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter.

Conversely a high merv rating indicates that the filter does a good job of removing particulates from the air. To determine resistance filters use the merv rating system. The higher the number the better the furnace filter is in capturing particles. Learn how to maintain your home and hvac this fall.

In general filters with a rating of merv 16 or below are considered to be hvac system grade filters for residential commercial and general hospital use. Merv has a scale of 1 to 20 with 20 as the best. Download your maintenance checklist. But for most households a merv 7 or 8 filter might be the sweet spot between performance and cost.

Merv is short for minimum efficiency reporting value. Merv stands for minimum efficiency reporting value and is a measure of how well a filter removes particulates from the air. So what does merv stand for anyways.