By reading this article from start to end, you can make an informed decision regarding your furnace filter Merv rating.

We have researched on your behalf to understand how to choose the right filter type for your furnace per its Merv rating. Simply put, you should consider the balanced indoor air quality and your system's capability.

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Furnace Filter MERV Rating - Things You Should Know

Before going into the details, let's first explore the meanings of the Merv rating. MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value.

In other words, MERV is a measurement system designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerant, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). MERV ratings are vital in signifying indoor air quality and the performance of air filters against the impurities present in the air.

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Determining Your Filter's MERV Rating

To find out the efficiency and the working capacity of your filter, you need to determine the Merv rating on the following basis:

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  • The capacity or capability of the filter to grab the smaller particles or contaminants that are measured in microns.
  • The higher your filter's efficiency, the higher the Merv rating, ranging from 1 to 20.

Other Measurement Systems

After determining your filter's rating, as discussed above, we highly recommend you understand the other measurement systems for your filter's performance. The measurement scales are critically analyzed and developed to help the consumer make the right decision. Consider the following rating systems in this regard:

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Filter Performance Rating

Our team has worked for longer hours and discovered that several retailers and producers use filter performance ratings to critically measure the filter's ability to clean bigger and smaller particles.

FPR or filter performance rating ranges from 1-10. These ratings help the user to know his machine’s potential capacity so that he can use it properly to get the desired outcomes.

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Microparticle Performance Rating

Another effective system to measure the quality performance of your furnace's filter is the microparticle performance rating (MPR). This measurement system deals with only your system's smaller particle filtration capacity, which ranges from 300 to 2200. By smaller particles, we mean trapping the smallest ones whose size ranges from 0.3-1 micron.

MERV Rating Breakdown

  • The rating ranging from 6-8 gives you the cheapest filters with the least quality performance.
  • The rating ranging from 8-10 can provide you with a good capacity filter at an affordable price that would not be too expensive.
  • From our point of view, the Merv rating of 11-13 is best for your home. If you want a good HVAC system to fulfill your home's requirements, you should use the Merv 13 filter.
  • If you go beyond Merv 14, these filters will be the best in performance, but they are less likely to be recommended for residential use. These filters are too strong in comparison and are made for commercial use.

For Residential Use

Suppose you are looking for a filter in your home or residential area. In that case, we highly recommend you go with the Merv 7 and Merv 13, as these ratings will efficiently meet your home needs by removing the impurities and contaminants from the air inside your living space.

Perfect MERV Rating

The notion of perfection is highly subjective, as different people have different needs and requirements to be fulfilled. Our purpose is to give our readers authentic information regarding the issue they are facing and the solutions they are searching for.

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Here is a few Merv rating breakdown:

  • Those furnace filters with MERV ratings between 6-8 are the least expensive and considered low-efficiency filters.
  • The best furnace filter for the overall residential HVAC system comes with a MERV rating of 13.
  • These air filters are highly efficient, but you can use them in residential places.

Is MERV 11 Too Restrictive

An air filter of MERV rating 11 Is not highly recommended for residential use. Because any air filter under MERV rating 13 should be quite an efficient air purification system in a single home without impacting airflow.

Is MERV 8 Good Enough

A normal air filter with a MERV rating of 8 can capture at least 84.9% of particles between The sizes of 0.4 to 10 microns. And this MERV 8 is Pretty enough Tu To purify the air in an average house.

It can also capture less than 20% of the particles smaller than 0.3 microns which is very good for this rating.

Final Words

To summarize the whole discussion, we can conclude that furnace air filters come with different MERV ratings per their capacity to catch and filter the smaller particle whose unit of measure is microns.

Knowing the Merv rating is not enough to make an informed decision; rather, we recommend you understand and consider FPR (filter performance rating) and MPR (microparticle performance rating) before making any decision regarding your furnace filter.

These ratings are helpful for the users in making informed decisions through a better understanding of the products.

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