When you go on an HVAC filter sales website, You may notice that the filters are divided into two categories; residential and commercial. You may wonder what the differences are. After all the air is the same whether or not you are in an office or a person’s house. People can get sick and have allergy attacks based on the pollen, viruses, and toxins that are in the air of a building whether or not it is an office or home.
A building’s structure and what it is used for can affect the type of filter it will require. For one thing, a commercial HVAC system will only work with disposable air filters. Residential homes can use both disposable and washable air filters. However, washable filters do not have a high enough quality rating to be effective in commercial buildings.
There are certain businesses such as laboratories and hospitals that need the air to be cleaner than the average business because of the nature of their work. Facilities dedicated to medical research and care have HVAC systems that are specially designed. They are heavy-duty systems that require a higher quality air filter.
If you are thinking that you should get a medical-grade air filter for your home HVAC system, you should think again. It is unlikely that your system would be able to use such a strong filter.
Before you select a filter, there are a few things you should know about how they work and how their quality is determined.
MERV Ratings
The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning industry known as HVAC, uses a rating system called MERV to rate the quality of air filters. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The system rates the ability of filters to capture airborne particles based on their size. The smaller the particle a filter can capture, the higher its MERV rating will be.
MERV ratings go from 1 to 16. Most HVAC specialists will tell you to use a filter with a rating of between 8 and 13 in your home. If you use a heavier filter, it will make your HVAC system work harder than it was designed to.
Before you pick out a filter, you should think about your needs and know what kind of particles each filter can eliminate.
MERV Rating of 1 to 4
A filter with a MERV rating of 1 to 4 is not a good idea for a home. This kind of filter will only trap particles that are 3.0 microns in size or larger. It will only trap 20% of the particles in the air of the average home, such as dust and carpet fiber.
The only upside to getting this kind of filter is that it is very inexpensive. It would normally be used in a storage facility or a garage. It should not be used in a place where people are going to spend a lot of time.
MERV Rating of 5 or 6
Filters with a MERV rating of 5 can still only capture particles larger than 3.0. However, they can capture about 34% of particles in the air. If you have to get a very cheap filter at least try to find one that has a rating of 5.
MERV Rating of 7 or 8
According to Filter King, a filter with a MERV rating of 7 can capture 64% of particles that are 3.0 or larger. Filters with a rating of 8 will only be able to capture particles that are 3.0 or larger but they will be able to capture 89% of those particles.
Filters with lower ratings will not be able to capture tiny but dangerous particles such as viruses and fumes. If you want to have a truly safe home, you should look for a filter with the highest rating possible for home use.
MERV 9
Filters that have a MERV rating of 9 will be able to trap particles that are small as 1.0. This means that things like auto fumes and toxins from other chemicals may be captured. Unfortunately, a filter with a MERV rating of 9 will only trap about 50% of these toxins. This is not bad for a home, but would never work in a medical facility.
MERV 10 to 12
Filters with ratings of 10 to 12 will also catch particles that are 1.0 microns or more, but they will do so much more effectively than a filter with a rating of 9. They will be able to capture around 90% of particles in the air.
MERV 13
Filters with a rating of 13 are considered the best for home use. They can trap 75% of particles of 0.3 microns.
Anything higher than a MERV rating of 13 will be used in commercial facilities that require an advanced level of sanitation. They are used in hospitals, operating rooms, and laboratories. They can capture 90% of particles that are as small as 0.3.
Although you want your home to be hospital clean, it is not a good idea to put filters made for hospitals in your home. When you use a filter that is too thick for your HVAC system, the system will have to work harder to push air through. Your energy bills will go up, and your home will not be as comfortable.
It is best to use a disposable filter in your home with a MERV rating of 8 or 9. If you keep your house clean and change your filter regularly, the air in your home will be sparkling clean.
