MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value of your air filter that your furnace uses. The rating goes from 1 to 18, 1 being lower quality and 18 being very high quality. With winter arriving, Minnesotans are spending more time inside their homes, meaning the air quality will have more effect on your health. Here are 3 reasons why a quality air filter is important to consider:
1. Air Quality in Your Home
If you or your family have asthma or allergies you know how the air quality can affect your everyday life. A higher quality air filter can stop things like pet dander, pollen, and bacteria from being recycled into your home. Air filters with a higher MERV rating means the air in your home will be healthier for you.
2. Protect Your Furnace
A higher quality air filter will help your furnace run more efficiently. Less dust and debris will get within the mechanics of your furnace. When a filter gets clogged your furnace works harder- which can lead to your electric bill increasing.
3. Change Your Filter Less
Filters with a lower MERV rating are thin and need to be changed more often. These filters will need to be changed once a month compared to a higher quality filter that only needs to be changed twice a year.
Here is a chart showing the MERV ratings ability to capture larger particles between 0.3 and 10 microns. A micron, also known as a micrometer, is a measurement of how small of a particle that the filters can catch. The chart below shows that the higher rated filters catch smaller particles than the lower rated filters. This means that a higher rated filter will not allow the small harmful particles through in to the air you breathe.
| 1-4 | 3.0 – 10.0 less than 20% |
| 6 | 3.0 – 10.0 49.9% |
| 8 | 3.0 – 10.0 84.9% |
| 10 | 1.0 – 3.0 50% – 64.9%, 3.0 – 10.0 85% or greater |
| 12 | 1.0 – 3.0 80% – 89.9%, 3.0 – 10.0 90% or greater |
| 14 | 0.3 – 1.0 75% – 84%, 1.0 – 3.0 90% or greater |
| 16-18 | 0.3 – 1.0 75% or greater |
For more tips check out our Expert Advice page.
If you’re ready to schedule your service, contact Valor Mechanical at 507.218.8400 or ValorMechanical.com.