Table of Contents
What MERV rating is best for home use?
As a general rule, residences do not use higher than MERV 8 filters. We do recommend that everyone uses filters that have at least an 8 MERV rating. These filters will remove the majority of pollutants from your indoor air.
Is MERV 13 too high?
Filters within a MERV rating of 17-20 are almost never necessary in a residential home. A MERV rating of 13-16 is considered hospital level air quality, so it is unlikely your home needs any more than that.
What MERV rating should I use for Covid 19?
What kind of filter should I use in my home HVAC system to help protect my family from COVID-19? Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, or MERV, reports a filter’s ability to capture particles. Filters with MERV-13 or higher ratings can trap smaller particles, including viruses.
Is MERV 13 too high for home?
MERV 13 air filters are the highest-rated air filters for home use. Any air filter with a rating higher than 13 will restrict air flow to the point of which could cause damage to your HVAC system, resulting in an added expense to fix it.
Is MERV 11 too restrictive?
A MERV 11 air filter has a higher efficiency rating. Meaning, it can capture finer particles and clear more contaminants out of the air. In most cases, a MERV 11 air filter isn’t too high for residential use.
Are MERV 13 filters worth it?
A MERV 13 filter is a step in the right direction and captures more particles than a typical MERV 8 filter. However, it is not as good at capturing small virus sized particles like a HEPA can. A MERV 13 will trap less than 75% of air particles that are 0.3-1.0 micron in size (the coronavirus is 0.1 microns).
Is MERV 11 or 13 better?
A MERV 11 rated furnace filter can trap the majority of harmful contaminants that are present in the air. A MERV 13 filter is capable of filtering out all particle impurities like dust, lint, pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander, smog, and smoke. On top of this, it can also trap bacteria and viruses.
Is MERV 13 safe for my furnace?
MERV 13 is the highest MERV value safe for residential furnaces; the higher ratings are used primarily in commercial units. If you are wondering what MERV to try, keep these recommendations in mind; ASHRAE recommends MERV 6 or higher.
How often should MERV 13 filters be changed?
For Merv 8, 11 and 13 filters, we recommend that you change your filter at least every 3 months, however changing your filter every 2 months provides better filtration which provides healthier and cleaner air in your home.
Is MERV 8 good enough?
A MERV 8 air filter is efficient at trapping a majority of indoor particulates that could debilitate those with asthma and allergies, or even cause long-term respiratory problems.
What filter is best for COVID-19?
By itself, air cleaning or filtration is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.Air cleaners and HVAC filters in Homes it is designated as High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA), it is CADR rated, or. the manufacturer states that the device will remove most particles in the size range below 1 um.
How many microns does MERV 13 filter?
MERV 13 filters are a step up from the MERV 8 or 9 rating. A MERV 13 filter can capture less than 75 percent of air particles that are 0.3 to 1.0 micron in size.
Can my furnace handle MERV 11?
The short answer is that it can, but it’s not really an issue except under extreme circumstances. Most modern HVAC systems have no problem working with higher MERV filters, which is why millions of homeowners depend on them.
Is MERV 11 better than 12?
The difference between 11 and 12, therefore, is quite negligible. We do not carry MERV 12; MERV 11 does just as good a job. MERV 12 filters trap 80 to 89 percent of average particles of 1.0 to 3.0 microns, with an average particle size efficiency of 90 percent or better. As you can see, they’re pretty close.
Is a MERV 12 filter too restrictive?
The higher the MERV rating, the more restrictive the filter might be. Plus, a MERV 12 filter that is just 1” (one inch) thick will likely be more restrictive than a MERV 12 filter that is 4” (four inches) thick. A clogged air filter of the “right” MERV rating will do this too. Low airflow.
Is MERV 11 a good filter?
MERV 11 rated air filters have a filtration efficiency of a little over 90%, making them highly efficient. MERV 11 furnace filters effectively trap pollen, dust, lint, dust mites, and mold, along with smoke, pet dander, smog, auto emissions, bacteria, and other such fine particles.
How often do you change a MERV 11 filter?
The basic recommendation for furnace filters replacement is every 3-4 months for MERV 8, every 6 months MERV 10 and 11 and every year for MERV 16. There are other several factors to consider when determining when to change your home air filter.
What MERV rating does Rheem recommend?
What MERV rating does Rheem recommend? Rheem recommends filters of MERV 8 and above. This MERV level is strong enough to remove substances like pollen, dust mites, dust and pet dander from the air.
Is MERV 14 too high?
MERV 14 is too strong for most home HVAC systems. Explore our MERV 13 Titanium filters to find a size that fits your home. MERV is an industry-standard, or rating. The abbreviation stands for Minimum Effective Reporting Value. In other words, it’s a measurement showing how small the holes are in the filter.
What MERV Can my furnace handle?
The ideal MERV filters for both air filtering and furnace efficiency are 7-13, experts say. These filters can be used without any modifications to your equipment. Your system may handle MERV 14-16 with no discernable stress.
