What does Arrestance mean?

Arrestance is a measure of the ability of an air filtration device to remove heavier (and often larger) particles from the air. It describes how well certain types of particles - such as dirt, lint, hair, and dust - are removed based on their weight rather than their size.

What is Arrestance of filter?

Arrestance is a measure of the ability of an air filtration device to remove a synthetic dust from the air. The higher the arrestance a filter contains, the greater ability to remove large particles including dirt, dust, lint, and hair.

What is a good MERV value?

The Best MERV Rating for Residential HVAC System Use

According to the ASHRAE, the best rating for residential HVAC systems is MERV 13.

What is a 30% filter?

For instance, a 30% filter (based on arrestance) means that 30% of the weight of the dust has been captured. Depending on the size of the dust particles the actual number of particles (and hence the percentage of particles) captured may be substantially less.

What filtration level is MERV 8?

A MERV 8 furnace filter usually has a filtration efficiency of a little over 80%. This means that it can effectively filter out about 80% of the contaminants that enter it. Filters with a MERV 8 rating can trap pollen, dust, lint, dust mites, mold, and other large particle impurities.

ASHRAE Dust Arrestance Testing

What is MERV rating for Covid?

What kind of filter should I use in my home HVAC system to help protect my family from COVID-19? Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, or MERV, reports a filter's ability to capture particles. Filters with MERV-13 or higher ratings can trap smaller particles, including viruses.

Is MERV 8 or 11 better?

A MERV 11 rated filter captures 85% or better of particles between the sizes of 0.3 and 10 microns. This may not seem like a significant difference compared to the MERV 8 filter, but a MERV 11 is also more capable of capturing between 65% and 79% of smaller particles.

What MERV rating should I use in my house?

In general, the best MERV rating for a home is somewhere between 8-10. These filters will capture a large portion of the airborne particles and improve indoor air quality without making your energy costs rise significantly.

Is MERV better than HEPA?

Here is where the HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter comes in. A HEPA filter is essentially the ultimate solution in the air filter world and far exceeds what a MERV 13 is able to do. All HEPA filters have a rating of a MERV 17 or higher.

Is a higher or lower MERV rating better?

While the highest MERV ratings are the most effective for air quality, they can harm your HVAC system. A higher MERV rating means a higher resistance, which means less airflow. When researching HVAC systems, airflow will come up a lot.

Is MERV 11 too high for home?

In most cases, a MERV 11 air filter isn't too high for residential use. Generally speaking, anything under a MERV 13 air filter should provide very efficient air purification in a home without impacting airflow.

What MERV filter does carrier recommend?

Selecting a good quality filter with 12 – 16 MERV to remove a high percentage of offending particulates. Be sure to check your filter at a minimum of once per month.

Will MERV 13 damage my furnace?

What Are MERV 13 Air Filters? MERV 13 air filters are the highest-rated air filters for home use. Any air filter with a rating higher than 13 will restrict air flow to the point of which could cause damage to your HVAC system, resulting in an added expense to fix it.

How long does a MERV 8 filter last?

Another factor driving the popularity of MERV 8 filters is that they are inexpensive and easily serviced. Depending on the manufacturer they can last three to six months and even up to a year in residential use.

Can HEPA filters remove viruses?

When used properly, air cleaners and HVAC filters can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a building or small space. By itself, air cleaning or filtration is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.

What is a HEPA 13 filter?

H13-H14 HEPA are within the highest tier of HEPA air filtration and are considered medical-grade. “A HEPA grade of H13 can remove 99.95% of all particles in the air measuring 0.2 microns in diameter, while a HEPA grade H14 removes 99.995%,” says Nagl.

Is MERV 11 or 13 better?

MERV 11 furnace filters have a particle arrestance of a little over 90%. In comparison, MERV 13 HVAC filters have a particle arrestance of around 98%. Naturally, it is significantly more efficient. MERV 11 rated air filters are ideal for those who live in a moderately polluted area, have mild allergies, or own a pet.

What does MERV 13 stand for?

A MERV 13 filter traps at its minimum efficiency - less than 75% of air particles that are 0.3-1.0 micron in size (reference chart below). Increasing the air particle size range to 3-10 microns, a MERV 13 filter will catch 90% or more of them while at its worst.

How often should you change a MERV 13 filter?

For Merv 8, 11 and 13 filters, we recommend that you change your filter at least every 3 months, however changing your filter every 2 months provides better filtration which provides healthier and cleaner air in your home.

Is MERV 12 too high for HVAC?

When in doubt, choose a MERV 8 to MERV 10 filter rated for high airflow, so it won't damage your furnace or air handler. Or you can ask a certified HVAC technician what filter is best for your furnace or air handler.

What is better MERV 6 or MERV 8?

Filters in the 5-8 MERV value range are also able to trap particles with 3.0-10.0 microns in size, but they are more efficient in doing so. A MERV 5 filter will trap up to 34%, MERV 6 will stop 35-49%, MERV 7 will prevent up to 69%, and MERV 8 will catch up to 85% of particles.

Are expensive air filters worth it?

More expensive filters like Pleated Residential filters filter out dust mites, pollen, mold and pet dander and even bacteria and so are worth the money especially for those with severe allergies. HEPA filters filter bacteria and viruses and are worth the extra money for those with respiratory conditions like emphysema.

Will MERV 11 hurt my furnace?

The short answer is that it can, but it's not really an issue except under extreme circumstances. Most modern HVAC systems have no problem working with higher MERV filters, which is why millions of homeowners depend on them.

How often should I change my MERV 11 filter?

The basic recommendation for furnace filters replacement is every 3-4 months for MERV 8, every 6 months MERV 10 and 11 and every year for MERV 16. There are other several factors to consider when determining when to change your home air filter.

Does MERV 8 filter mold?

A MERV 8 filter traps pollen and dust, but also dust mites and mold spores.