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In general, the best MERV rating for a home is somewhere between 8-10. These filters will capture a large portion of the airborne particles and improve indoor air quality without making your energy costs rise significantly.
Is a MERV 13 filter too restrictive?
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 a MERV 11 filter too restrictive?
Air filters with higher MERV ratings can filter more, but the thickness of the filter material can restrict airflow. Restricted airflow can decrease comfort, increase energy use, and accelerate the wear and tear of HVAC components. In most cases, a MERV 11 air filter isn’t too high for residential use.
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.
Are MERV 13 filters bad for HVAC?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can I use MERV 13 in 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.
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.
How long do MERV 13 filters last?
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.
What filter is best for COVID-19?
The longer they run, the more particles they will likely remove. When assembling a DIY air cleaner, choose a high-efficiency filter, rated MERV 13 or higher, for better filtration.
What MERV rating should I use for my home air filter?
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 11 good?
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 should 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.
Will MERV 12 hurt my furnace?
The short answer is this: The best MERV rating for your heating and air conditioning equipment is the MERV recommended by the manufacturer. It’s usually in the range of 8-12 MERV. When in doubt, choose a MERV 8 to MERV 10 filter rated for high airflow, so it won’t damage your furnace or air handler.
Can I replace Merv 11 with MERV 12?
In general no. In order to use a Merv 12 to replace a Merv 11, you need to know if you system can handle the extra pressure drop caused by the higher efficiency Merv 12. My heat pump/ ventilation system cannot support the pressure drop of a Merv 12.
Is MERV 12 or 13 better?
Filters with a MERV 13-16 value are the most restrictive and can trap the smallest particles like bacteria, tobacco smoke, and burning wood. MERV 13-16 filters are capable of trapping 90% or more of particles in the 1.0-10.0 micron range.
