What are MERV Ratings?

What are MERV ratings? MERV is Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Every furnace filter has a MERV rating, which measures how efficiently the filter captures particles of specific sizes that pass through it as your furnace operates. MERV ratings range from 1 (least efficient) to 16 (extremely efficient). Lower efficiency higher 2 10 11 12 13| 14 15 16 Lower Cost higher Up to a point, a higher MERV rating means a better filter, but filters with very high MERV ratings, which capture extremely small particles, tend to be pricey and are probably a smart investment only for people with allergy problems and for commercial applications where, for instance, electronic equipment must be protected from small particles of dust. We offer filters with MERV ratings of 6, 8, 11 and 13, which is the range of ratings that will cover the needs of most homes, providing clean, healthy air and protecting your HVAC equipment. Dust Spot Efficiency* Arrestance" >98% % Shown numerically >95% 100 on highlighted filters 85-90% >90% 89-90% 90 80 60-65% 70 60 50 30-35% 40 30 <20% 20 10 2 4 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1- 4 5 - 8 9 - 12 13 - 16 >10.0 pm Particle Size 3.0-10.0 pm Particle Size 1.0-3.0 pm Particle Size O 30-1.0 pm Particle Size Pollen Mold Spores i Legionella All Bacteria Dust Mite Hair Spray Humidifier Dust Fabric Protector Lead Dust Most Tobacco Smoke Dusting Aids Sanding Dust Spray Paint Dust Milled Flour Cement Dust Textile Fibers Auto Emissions Proplet Nuceli (Sneeze) Carpet Fibers Pudding Mix Welding Fumes :: Commercial Buildings General Surgery Hospital Inpatient Care Minimal Filtration Superior Residential Better Residential : Better Commercial Buildings Residential Smoking Lounges Industrial Workplace Superior Commercial Buildings Window A/C Units Hospital Laboratories Paint Booth Inlet *Dust Spot Efficiency A measure (expressed in percent) of the ability of a filter to remove atmospheric dust from air. *Arrestance The ability of a filter to remove injected standard dust from the test air. It is calculated as a % relationship on a weight basis. Typical Merv Typical Applications & Limitations Rating