Merv Air Filter Meaning

Merv stands for minimum efficiency reporting value.

Merv air filter meaning.

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. It is an acronym for high efficiency particulate air filter as officially defined by the u s. Here s what we tell them. The merv rating system is intended to be used to determine the filter s ability to remove particulates from the air.

Merv means m inimum e fficiency r eporting v alue which was developed by the american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioner engineers. Hepa is a type of pleated mechanical air filter. The higher the merv rating the smaller the pores are for air to flow through an hvac filter. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter.

This can create more resistance in airflow than a system is designed to manage thus making it. Here s a breakdown of the merv ratings. When i say it s the standard rating system i mean it. Think of merv 8 filters as a good option and merv 11 filters as the better option for normal residential use.

Your filters merv rating is a good way to help judge the effectiveness of the filter. So the higher the merv rating the more efficient it is. Higher value merv rating equates to finer filtration meaning fewer dust particles and other airborne contaminants can pass through the filter. Minimum efficiency reporting value merv is a standard that rates the overall effectiveness of air filters.

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. But a higher merv does not mean it s better for your air conditioning system. The scale represents a quantum leap in the precision and accuracy of air cleaner ratings and allows for improved health reduced cost and energy efficiency in. Many new jersey homeowners ask us about merv ratings especially when it comes to choosing between merv 8 and merv 11 air filters.

Minimum efficiency reporting value commonly known as merv is a measurement scale designed in 1987 by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to report the effectiveness of air filters. The standard rating system for filters is called minimum efficiency reporting value or merv. The minimum efficiency reporting value or merv rating determines the efficiency of an air filter.