Overall, the best MERV rating for a home is between 8 and 10. These filters will capture a large part of the particles in the air and improve indoor air quality without causing your energy costs to increase significantly. In most cases, a MERV 11 air filter isn't too tall for residential use. Generally speaking, anything under a MERV 13 air filter should provide very efficient air purification in a home without affecting airflow.
Meanwhile, air filters with a MERV 14 rating or higher are designed for commercial HVAC systems that can handle the coarsest filter material.MERV ratings 1 to 16 are considered HVAC system grade filters suitable for residential, commercial and general hospital HVAC systems. Overall, our recommended MERV rating for oven filters ranges from 6 to 8 to strike a great balance between maximum oven efficiency and home comfort. In general, filters with higher MERV ratings are more effective and improve air quality, but they are also more expensive. Plus, taller doesn't always mean better for homeowners.MERV ratings greater than 16 are commonly used in specialized commercial environments where air filtration is essential, such as hospitals.
MERV 11 air filters are a bit more expensive than a standard filter, but paying a few dollars more per filter is generally worth the extra efficiency. One thing to keep in mind is that a MERV 11 air filter may need to be changed a little more frequently than a MERV 8 air filter. With the Filter King filter selection tool, you can mark exactly the size, thickness and MERV rating you're looking for.The MERV rating is there to tell you how efficient the air filter is at filtering particles of certain sizes. Pleated filters that are MERV 8 to 13, unlike fiberglass, can effectively filter small particles and decrease pressure drop (this is the closest thing to MerVana you can find).
If you're worried about the effects of inhaling fine air particles, that's another reason to choose a MERV 11 air filter instead of a MERV 8 air filter. If someone has an allergy or respiratory problem, choose a MERV 11 air filter or even a MERV 13 air filter.However, a high MERV rating on an air filter generally means that the filter is thicker and your HVAC system will have to work harder to circulate air throughout the house. Filter technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and MERV ratings are designed to help us determine the most effective and efficient air filter options for heating and cooling systems and more. They may seem to be almost the same, but MERV 8 air filters and MERV 11 air filters have a few different differences.
