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However, you get better results with changes every month or two. MERVs over 12 work well in commercial or industrial buildings, like hospitals. Your home shouldn’t contain the same dangerous particles as an industrial structure. It also doesn’t need the level of sterility required at hospitals.
Depending on the size of the filter, consider changing it more often to keep your home cleaner and dust-free. For example, a fiberglass filter requires more regular replacement than a pleated filter. Meanwhile, a 1-inch pleated filter requires replacement more often than a 4-inch pleated filter, which can withstand up to six months of use. If you have dogs at home, this filter can help to reduce possible allergens—i.e., animal dander—in the air. The frequency with which you change your filter depends on its MERV rating. For example, if you have a MERV 8, change your filter no less than every three months.
Which filter is better MERV 8 or 13?
As it is a MERV 8 filter, it is not designed to trap the smallest particles that fall into the E1 category, such as pet dander. In simple terms, it sets the minimum amount of particulate matter that a filter must capture to achieve a specific MERV rating. Overall, our recommended Merv rating for oven filters ranges from 6 to 8 to strike a great balance between maximum oven efficiency and home comfort. A MERV rating of between 6 and 13 generally meets the needs of most residences. This range offers a good balance between air filtration, airflow and affordability.
MERV ratings 1 to 16 are considered HVAC system grade filters suitable for residential, commercial and general hospital HVAC systems. Merv ratings mean the effectiveness of an air filter in reducing particles and pollutants in the air. The MERV rating is there to tell you how efficient the air filter is at filtering particles of certain sizes. In general, air filters with higher MERV ratings remove a higher percentage of contaminants in the air and, therefore, improve the indoor air quality of your home. Choosing the right MERV rating for your oven filter has a big impact on indoor air quality, the HVAC system, and most importantly, your family's well-being. MERV ratings indicate how effective an air filter is at reducing particulate matter and pollutants in the air.
Performance
This rating shows the overall efficiency of an air filter. The higher the rating, the more effective the filter is at catching particles of various sizes. The regularity of changing your air filter depends on the filter’s MERV rating.
These are suited for people that have pets or other sources of smells in their homes. 4 times better small particle capture compared to non-electrostatic pleated filters for the capture of 0.3 to 1.0 micron particles. 3 times better at small particle capture compared to non-electrostatic pleated filters for the capture of 0.3 to 1.0 micron particles. While higher-rated filters can trap more particles, they can also put additional strain on your HVAC unit and cause your energy bill to go up. In most situations, a filter somewhere in the middle is more than sufficient.
How Often Should You Change Your MERV Air Filter?
In general, filters with higher MERV ratings are more effective and improve air quality – but are also more expensive. MERV ratings above 16 are typically used in specialized commercial settings where air filtration is critical, such as hospitals. As a result, you will enjoy cleaner and healthier indoor air for a long time. If you don’t cough, sneeze, or experience respiratory irritation inside your home, then you have good indoor air quality. The filter performs its job well, eliminating dust, dander, and mold.
HEPA filters are often considered the best when it comes to removing contaminants from at-home air. A filter with a MERV rating between 1 and 6 can remove particles between 0.3 and 10 microns with an efficiency of 20%. Basically, the higher the MERV rating, the greater the air filtration capabilities of a particular filter. Selecting the right MERV rating for your air filter is a balancing act between the capabilities of your HVAC system and the indoor air quality you want to achieve.
Additionally, some crafty HVAC pros will put a filter size label near the filter compartment, along with the dates you need to change it. However, UV filters are not the best for filtering out dust particles and other kinds of contaminants, and you should use them in conjunction with a MERV filter. Our Essential+ filter has an initial pressure drop that's slightly higher than the Essential+, but not by anything significant as it comes in at about 0.03 WG.
But the tradeoff is that you need to clean washable air filters more often. One thing to keep in mind is that not all HVAC units are able to accommodate air filters with higher MERV ratings. Since a high MERV rating means that more particulates will be removed from the air, you may think that air filters with the highest MERV rating are best. It's best to comply with oven manufacturer's recommendations or consult an HVAC professional to determine exactly which MERV rating is best for your specific system.
A MERV rating is important because it helps you understand an air filter’s effectiveness so you can choose the right one for your particular needs. For example, if you have someone in your home who suffers from allergies, you may want a higher MERV rating. While you may automatically think that a higher MERV rating means a better air filter, that's not always the case.
MERV filter ratings range from 1 to 20, with 20 being the most efficient at removing particles. The higher the MERV rating, the better the filter's ability to block fine particles. But even among filters of the same type, there can be a wide variance of quality and efficiency. If you have ever shopped for a new air filter for your home, you have seen the variety of types available.
Most homes are better served with a filter with a MERV rating of 8 to 13, but consult your system's user manual or with a ... MERV-13 is the minimum filter rating we recommend in our HVAC design work. HVAC systems are highly technical and often is the most misunderstood part of the house. From ductwork to heat pumps, I've been exposed to all sorts of issues facing homeowners.
The air filter in an HVAC system plays a critical role in the health and wellbeing of you and your family. They promote clean and healthy air in your home by trapping allergens, dust, dander, pollen, viruses, and other pathogens. You might think that a higher MERV rating would automatically be better, but it’s not. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the pores are for the air to flow through an HVAC filter. This can create more resistance in airflow than a system is designed to manage, thus making it inefficient. Reducing the airflow in your system can actually worsen the air quality in your home and put a damaging amount of pressure on the fan of your furnace or AC system.
Ideal for high efficiency air filtration and will help those with moderate allergies and asthma. Get your air cleaned out fiel dly with our revised results boosting filter and pleat technology. Remove up to 100% more dust and other airborne materials with ease. Other ratings include the MPR developed by 3M and FPR developed by Home Depot.
If you want to use a MERV 13 filter, ask an HVAC specialist whether your system can handle it. However, don’t add a MERV 16 filter to your shopping list just yet. Just because it has the highest efficiency doesn’t mean it fits your home’s system.
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