Air Filter Merv Rating Meaning

Ashrae developed the merv air filter efficiency rating system.

Air filter merv rating meaning.

Hepa is a type of pleated mechanical air filter. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter. Merv means m inimum e fficiency r eporting v alue which was developed by the american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioner engineers. The merv rating system is intended to be used to determine the filter s ability to remove particulates from the air.

Filters with higher merv ratings trap small particles more effectively than filters with lower merv ratings. It is an acronym for high efficiency particulate air filter as officially defined by the u s. This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99 97 of dust pollen mold bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0 3 microns µm. The higher the merv rating the smaller the pores are for air to flow through an hvac filter.

Here s what we tell them. Think of merv 8 filters as a good option and merv 11 filters as the better option for normal residential use. In this article we ll go into more detail about merv filters and how to choose the right one for your new. Many new jersey homeowners ask us about merv ratings especially when it comes to choosing between merv 8 and merv 11 air filters.

Ashrae stands for the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers. The test is based on particle size. The standard rating system for filters is called minimum efficiency reporting value or merv. The rating system is called ashrae standard 52 2 2007.

Your filters merv rating is a good way to help judge the effectiveness of the filter. In general filters with a rating of merv. The merv rating on an air filter was designed by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to rate the effectiveness of air filters. The merv filter rating is the domestic and international industry standard rating system established by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers.

This method tests air cleaning devices for dust removal efficiency. So the higher merv rating the higher its performance. The other two systems were created by 3m mpr and the home depot fpr to differentiate their offerings. A low merv rating means that the filter does not remove as many particulates from the air.

This rating system is defined in an ashrae standard 52 2 which specifies the conditions under which the testing must be done and the performance required to meet each merv level. When i say it s the standard rating system i mean it.