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.

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. But for most households a merv 7 or 8 filter might be the sweet spot between performance and cost. Conversely a high merv rating indicates that the filter does a good job of removing particulates from the air. 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.

Download your maintenance checklist. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter. 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. Merv is short for minimum efficiency reporting value.

Learn how to maintain your home and hvac this fall. Merv stands for minimum efficiency reporting value and is a measure of how well a filter removes particulates from the air. Merv has a scale of 1 to 20 with 20 as the best. A low merv rating means that the filter does not remove as many particulates from the air.

The higher the number the better the furnace filter is in capturing particles. In short the higher the merv rating is the more resistant the filter is. To determine resistance filters use the merv rating system.