Your HVAC system’s air filter is the first line of defense in keeping your air conditioner safe from dust, pollen, mold and mildew spores, and other particulate pollution. If they were to infiltrate your air conditioner, these particles could gather on the evaporator coil and insulate it, preventing it from cooling your air. It’s a good idea to replace the air filter every month, but with the number of air filters available, what’s the best choice? The answer depends on your filtration needs and the system of MERV ratings.
What Are MERV Ratings?
Air filters are made up of a chaotic fiber mesh that functions as a sieve, catching particles and holding them so that they can be removed later. The tighter the mesh, the better able the filter is to catch small particles.
The minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV, will tell you what size particles a filter will catch. The higher the MERV, the more effective it is at catching small particles. While a filter with a MERV between 5 and 8 will catch pollen, mold spores and dust mite debris, a filter with a MERV of 16 will catch particles as small as bacteria or smoke. HEPA filtration can be thought of as the MERV 17 to 20 range, with filtration so powerful that it can catch viruses and remove them from circulating air.
While buying the filter with the highest MERV rating you can find might sound like a good idea, it isn’t always. As the mesh grows tighter, it becomes more and more difficult to push air through the filter medium. That means that the A/C’s blower fan draws more power, and its mechanical parts undergo excess strain. This can lead to system burnout in the same way that a clogged air filter can, so you should always check your manufacturer’s instructions on what MERV filters you should buy.
To learn more about MERV ratings and how they affect your A/C and indoor air quality performance, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.We proudly serve the Lorain, Elyria and Oberlin areas.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area