Whats a MERV?
In the HVAC world, A MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. But what does it actually mean? A MERV rating relates to the filter in your heating & air conditioning system and its efficacy in air quality control. MERV ratings are on a scale of 1-20, and the higher the number means the fewer the contaminants that can pass through the filter. The MERV scale was designed by the American Society of Heating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to represent filter’s performance at removing or blocking particles from .3 to 10 microns in size.
A micron (or micrometer) is a unit of measurement approximately one millionth of a meter. To give perspective, wool fibers are considered to be usable for garments and carpets at 25 microns. So yeah, .03-10 is pretty small!
So what does that mean for you? If you have a air conditioning & heating system in San Diego, the filter is incredibly important in removing particles such as pollen, dust mites, carpet fibers, mold spores, dust, pet dander, bacteria and airborne contaminants. Residential systems will typically remove these airborne contaminants with a MERV rated filter 7-12. MERV ratings of 13 and higher are usually found in hospitals, surgical settings and in even higher ratings clean rooms.
At Bill Howe heating & air conditioning, all standard filters installed have a MERV rating of 8. We also advise homeowners to regularly clean air ducts to remove impurities from the air and perform a maintenance on their heating and air conditioning system annually (twice a year if you have A/C and heat) in San Diego.
Heating & air conditioning tune-ups include changing out old filters and will extend the life of your HVAC system. To schedule your pre-season heating tune-up in San Diego, call 1-800 Bill Howe (245-5469) today! You’ll be glad you did!
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