Merv 8 Air Filter Meaning

In this article we ll go into more detail about merv filters and how to choose the right one for your new.

Merv 8 air filter meaning.

See screenshot below this filter for sale on the home depot shows fpr 10 as equivalent to either merv 8 or merv 13. Some filters on their website that have both an fpr and a merv rating and at least one with an fpr of 10 is shown as equivalent to either merv 8 or merv 13. Think of merv 8 filters as a good option and merv 11 filters as the better option for normal residential use. As air moves through a building s hvac system air filters trap and collect large and small particles such as dust allergens and microorganisms.

It is an acronym for high efficiency particulate air filter as officially defined by the u s. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter. This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99 97 of dust pollen mold bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0 3 microns µm. Many new jersey homeowners ask us about merv ratings especially when it comes to choosing between merv 8 and merv 11 air filters.

This can lead to inefficiency. Higher value merv rating equates to finer filtration meaning fewer dust particles and other airborne contaminants can pass through the filter. This can create more resistance in airflow than a system is designed to manage thus making it. The merv rating system is intended to be used to determine the filter s ability to remove particulates from the air.

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. When the air flow is reduced the air quality in your home can suffer not to mention damage the fan of your furnace. Here s what we tell them. The higher the merv rating the smaller the pores are for air to flow through an hvac filter.

According to the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae this filtration helps provide healthier indoor air quality a filter s merv number indicates how it s rated to remove these particles. Hepa is a type of pleated mechanical air filter. Minimum efficiency reporting value commonly known as merv is a measurement scale designed in 1987 by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to report the effectiveness of air filters. A low merv rating means that the filter does not remove as many particulates from the air.

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. Minimum efficiency reporting value merv is a standard that rates the overall effectiveness of air filters.