The Minimum Efficiency Rating Value (MERV) lets people know the efficiency of their air filters is working at their minimum level. MERV ratings are essential because it helps to compare between different filters so you can pick the best one that will get rid of the pollutants in the air you want to get rid of from your home or office.
To choose a good MERV rating for your filters, we need to understand why MERV ratings are important and the different types of MERV ratings there are. Visit https://filterking.com/hvac-filters/merv-13-air-filter-review to see which MERV rating is recommended for your filters to give the best air filtration for your home or office.
Why Are MERV ratings Important?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers created the MERV ratings to update their filter testing standards. MERV ratings are based on how well an air filter captures common airborne pollutants within certain size ranges.
There are 16 MERV ratings, and the higher the number is, the more efficient the air filter is. So a MERV rating of 16 would be better than a MERV rating of 1. Twelve size ranges of pollutants have been tested to determine the ratings, ranging from 0.3 micrometers to 10 micrometers. The filters are tested upstream and downstream, where the twelve size ranges are tested in six intervals with a clean filter to begin with, then the filters are tested for dust.
To determine the air filter’s efficiency, the particles that go into the test duct will be tested before they go into the test duct and after. Based on what is evaluated, a MERV rating will be established. The efficiency of the filter will be determined by measuring what particle sizes are left in the duct, how many there are, and at what rate they fall. What happens to the air coming out of this duct? This will be tested as well and based on the test results, a MERV rating will be assigned.
This process is essential to determine how much air filtration your home or office will get from certain pollutants. Without this rating, we would not know which filter would be best for our specific living situation.
The 16 MERV Ratings
MERV 13 to 16 helps control airborne bacteria, tobacco smoke, and pollutants from sneezing. These filters work great for smoking lounges, surgery suits, and commercial buildings since so many people frequent them, and the contaminants that these filters control are primarily in these types of spaces.
MERV 9 10 12 helps control humidifier dust, lead dust, emissions from vehicles, and fumes from welding. These filters are great for residences with excellent HVAC systems, hospital labs, automotive centers, and manufacturer and commercial buildings.
MERV 5 to 8 filters help control mold, hair spray, and dust. These filters are great for commercial buildings, standard residences, and paint booths. MERV 8 filters have 90% efficiency on particles ranging from 3 to 10 micrometers.
MERV 1 to 4 filters help control larger particles like sanding dust, dust from spray paint, and lint and carpet particles. These filters are good in residences (although not ideal) and window air conditioning units.
So as you can see, the higher the MERV rating, the more filtration you get in the air from more pollutants. While MERV ratings one through four block lint and sanding dust, filters with a MERV rating of thirteen through sixteen filters out airborne bacteria, tobacco smoke, and other pollutants.
MERV filters with the ratings of thirteen through sixteen can help people with asthma or respiratory problems with breathing due to the high filtration of the air. If you have anyone in your home or office with these conditions, this filter is wise to purchase. And, even if you just want the best air possible, this is still an excellent choice to buy.
Although, the higher the MERV ratings on your filter, the more expensive the filter will be, so if you need to purchase a less expensive filter, filters with MERV ratings of five through eight may suffice, since these filters block different types of mold and dust that can be detrimental to one’s health. But, purchasing filters with ratings of one through four may not do much for your home or office, especially if you have a lot of occupants, since these types of filters only cover the primary pollutants and not things like airborne bacteria or mold.
MERV ratings are crucial for picking the right air filter or multiple air filters for your space.
