What Is The Best Merv Rating For Furnace Filters

Welcome to this calendar week'due south blog! Information technology's all about MERV and our filters.

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As you may know, we at Second Nature offering a option of three differently rated air filters: Our Essential (MERV eight), Essential+ (MERV 10), and Health Shield (MERV thirteen). So, which one is right for yous?

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Every bit you endeavour to make this decision, you'll need to reply several important questions: What if I accept allergies? How different is each MERV rating? What's the best filter if I have a pet? Will any of these filters make my HVAC organization work less efficiently? Who got sent home on The Bachelorette last week?

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In this week's blog, nosotros have the answers to all of these questions and and then much more than. Don't be MERVous. Later on you lot finish reading, we guarantee y'all'll know what you demand to know to brand an informed decision.

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Already know what you need? Get ahead of cheque filters off your to-practise list correct now!

To kick things off, we'll give you a basic rundown of everything MERV.

What exactly is MERV?
How does the MERV rating organisation work?
What's pressure drop?
Essential MERV viii Filter
Essential+ MERV 10 Filter
Health Shield MERV thirteen Filter

What exactly is MERV?

MERV, otherwise known as Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a system used to evaluate the efficiency of an air filter based on how constructive information technology is at catching particles of varying sizes. Basically, the college the MERV rating, the higher the air filtration capabilities of a particular filter.

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How does the MERV rating system work?

Well, MERV ratings range from 1 to twenty, with one being the lowest level of filtration, and twenty existence the highest. Filters that are MERV sixteen through 20 are ordinarily only constitute in hospitals, cleanrooms, and nuclear ability plants. The home air filters you're looking for are rated anywhere betwixt MERV 5 and 13. Nosotros, nonetheless, do not endorse any filter that is lower than a MERV 8, and filters below MERV 5? We don't even talk about those.

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Filters rated below a MERV 5 are basically the wet socks of air filters. Delight don't use them and embarrass your air render like that. Your indoor air quality deserves better.

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MERV ratings are determined by a filter'due south effectiveness at filtering particles of different sizes. Specifically, we're talking about 12 differently sized particles from 0.3 to 10 micrometers (µm) in diameter that were created in a laboratory surroundings. For reference, a human pilus is about 50 µm, and the smallest particles that can be identified by the human eye are about 40 µm. These 12 particles are and then divided up into three different size ranges (E1, E2, and E3), and four subranges that exist within each range. The first range, E1, includes particles sized 0.3 to 1.0 µm. E2 includes particles sized 1.0 to iii.0 µm, and E3 encompasses particles sized three.0 to x.0 µm.

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The next step? Each filter will go through half dozen tests per particle size (72 tests full) to decide its MERV rating. In each test, the total number of particles in the exam will be counted earlier existence sprayed through the filter, and then counted again after. The end count compared to the total amount of particles is and so converted into a pct representing how many particles were successfully filtered out of the air. The worst percentage out of the six tests is selected as the official measurement used to determine a filter'south MERV rating. That'due south where the minimum in MERV comes from. If we didn't use the worst score, information technology would just be called ERV, which is nowhere near equally cool of a name.

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Check out this chart below for more on E1, E2, and E3 particles:

Now, on to force per unit area drib!

What's pressure drop?

In simple terms, pressure drop is basically air resistance. Your air filter is a literal bulwark between your HVAC system and your vents, and that slows the ability of air to get pulled through your vents to your bodily system. How much your HVAC's air catamenia is slowed by a filter is equivalent to its pressure drop.

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Pressure drop varies based on the filter. Filters that are more tightly woven brand it harder for air to pass through. This creates a decrease in air flow and a college pressure drop. As long as you have an air filter installed in your air return, in that location's no way to avoid pressure level drop.

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Even MERV ane - 4 fiberglass filters take a force per unit area drop, though it is minimal. These cheap filters will accept petty impact on air menses at the expense of having little impact on air quality. The reason that pressure level driblet is then low for a fiberglass filter is because it is extremely porous and every bit a issue, ineffective at filtering. Finer particles will have no problem at all getting through a fiberglass filter, and those that are larger will be filtered out less finer than by a pleated filter.

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Really fiberglass? C' mon, y'all literally have 1 job.

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Pleated filters that are MERV 8 to thirteen, unlike fiberglass, can both filter out minor particles effectively and diminish pressure drop (this hither is every bit close to MERVana that you tin get). Even though pleated filters practise have a slightly college initial force per unit area drop, it is not so meaning equally to cause any harm to your HVAC arrangement, as long as you're changing your filters regularly.

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Exist aware that equally time goes on, more dirt, dander, mold, and dust will be trapped by your filter, reducing air catamenia and therefore increasing pressure drop. So, make certain you're replacing your air filter regularly to preclude this from happening. A filter replacement every two to three months will do the play a trick on to make sure your HVAC system sees no decrease in functionality.

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Ok, now that nosotros've got all of that covered, it'south time to see the filters.

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Essential MERV 8 Filter

First up, it's Essential, our MERV 8 filter.

What does an Essential filter out of the air? It takes intendance of all the basics: pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, and bacteria.

Who should own a Essential? Homeowners who don't alive virtually smoke pollution and who don't share a household with any allergy-suffers or pets.

What's the filtration efficiency? To exist classified every bit a MERV eight filter co-ordinate to NAFA (National Air Filtration Association), a filter must filter out at least seventy% of E3 (iii.0-10.0 µm) particles and 20% of E2 (1.0-3.0 µm) particles. Essential actually exceeds that requirement. In addition to 70% of E3 particles, it besides filters out 30% of E2 particles and i.9% of E1 (0.3-ane.0 µm) particles. Since it is a MERV 8 filter, information technology isn't designed to catch the smallest of pocket-size particles that fall into the E1 category, like pet dander. In improver, after conducting standard grit tests, information technology was establish that Essential had an arrestance rate of 81.5%. This means that 81.5% of dust particles fed into the filter were successfully filtered out of the air.

Okay, then how near pressure drop? Our pressure level drops tests were conducted at pretty standard air catamenia rates for the average HVAC system. At these rates, we constitute that Essential'due south initial pressure drop is effectually 0.024". This is very depression, and barely different from the force per unit area drop of a MERV one-4 fiberglass filter.

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Essential+ MERV 10 Filter

Next, nosotros'd like to introduce our Essential+ filter. This is our MERV 10 and mid-level filter.

What does a Essential+ filter out of the air? Everything that the Essential does, then pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, and leaner. In improver, you tin can say goodbye to that pet dander that's been floating around.

Who is a Essential+ perfect for? Pet owners, of form! Besides, anyone who has balmy allergies or is just looking for boosted filtration.

How efficient is information technology? MERV 10 filters should remove at least 85% of E3 particles, 65% of E2 particles, and 20% of E1 particles from the air. Our Essential+ filter removes a minimum of 87.9% of E3 particles, 65.vi% of E2 particles, and 24.4% of E1 particles. You know nothing much, just going to a higher place and across as usual. In the standard dust tests we conducted, Essential+ had a total particle arrestance of 92.5% (Distressing Lite, Micro's got you beat).

What about pressure driblet? Our Essential+ filter has an initial pressure drop that'due south slightly higher than the Essential+, but not past anything pregnant every bit it comes in at almost 0.03 WG. This is no surprise as this filter does provide an extra level of filtration.

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Wellness Shield MERV 13 Filter

Last, but nearly definitely non least, nosotros have our Health Shield MERV 13 filter. This is our highest rated filter.

What does a Health Shield filter out of the air? The answer to this, my friend, is a whole lot. For starters, it filters everything that a Health Shield does, which includes pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, bacteria, and pet dander. Then, it also filters out cooking oil smoke, smoke, smog, AND virus carriers. What else is left? We sure tin can't recall of anything.

Who should own a Health Shield filter? Homeowners with more than i pet in the habitation and those who have severe allergies.

People that live in heavily polluted areas or experience fume pollution in the summertime will benefit from a Health Shield, as smoke particles are very small and hazardous to your health.

How most efficiency? Every bit specified by NAFA, to be labeled as MERV 13, a filter must successfully remove at least 90% of E3 particles, 85% of E2 particles, and fifty% of E1 particles. Our Health Shield filter removes a minimum average of 97.2% of E3 particles, 85.5% of E2 particles, and l.2% of E1 particles. Equally you tin come across, this filter is extremely constructive. In standard dust tests that were conducted, our Health Shield filter had a total particle arrestance of 98.ane% (Looks like we have a winner).

How's the pressure drop looking? Since information technology does provide the highest level of filtration, the Health Shield filter has the highest initial pressure drop at about 0.053 WG, which still should not pose whatever threat to your HVAC system.

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Merely an FYI, but filters ranging from MERV 1 through MERV 4 typically merely remove less than 20% of E3 particles.

Well, there yous have information technology. Now you're a MERV expert and the time has come to choose your fighter. Volition it be Essential, Essential+, or Health Shield? Brand your choice hither.