What is a MERV Rating?

Maintaining healthy air quality in your Surf City, North Carolina, home should be a priority. One of the major things that can affect your home’s indoor air quality is your HVAC system’s air filtration. To understand more about air filtration, learn about the MERV rating system for filters.

What’s a MERV Rating?

The acronym MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This value rates your HVAC system’s air filter on how well it filters your home’s air. The filter is assigned a rating from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV rating, the fewer particles and contaminants will pass through it.

Filters are tested for the most common particles, such as pet dander, pollen, dust mites, carpet fiber, bacteria, smoke and dust. For homeowners, their ratings will typically range between 7 to 12. Those rated 13 or higher are primarily used in a hospital setting.

Is a Higher Number Always Better?

When it comes to ratings, most people assume that the higher the number, the better. But with MERV ratings, having the highest number isn’t what you’re always looking for. A filter with a high rating can create air resistance if you use it in a system not designed for it.

How to Choose Your Filter?

Typically, you’ll need to change filters with higher MERV ratings more often because they’ll trap more particles. As such, they become dirtier quicker. When choosing the right rating for your equipment, make sure to take this into consideration. Higher-rated filters may be more expensive, and with more frequent changes, that can add up to a lot of spending each year.

Breathe a little easier by fully understanding the MERV rating system and what it means for the air quality in your home. If you have questions about MERV ratings or need help picking the right filter, contact Gideon Heating and Air at (910) 447-2905 today.

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