Understanding the Differences Between MERV and HEPA Filters
Your HVAC system’s air filter plays an extremely important role in the life and health of the system. Specifically, the filter works to trap airborne particles to prevent them from getting inside the system and potentially damaging its various components. There are also more highly rated filters that can help to improve indoor air quality by filtering out many airborne allergens, germs, and pollutants. With this in mind, here is everything you need to know about the differences between MERV and HEPA filters to ensure you can easily choose the best filter for your home’s HVAC system. The MERV Rating System Explained Most HVAC air filters are rated in terms of efficiency using the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) scale. This system measures how efficiently the filter can trap particles ranging in size from 10 down to 0.3 microns. Each filter is tested to determine the percentage of particles of varying sizes that it can trap and then assigned a rating based on the results. At the lowest end of the scale are MERV 1 to MERV 4 filters, which can only trap around 20% of the largest particles between 3 and 10 microns. On the highest end of the...
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