In general, a filter with a higher Merv rating will reduce airflow. However, there are many other factors that come into play, such as the size of the filter and the type of fan motor in your HVAC system. A Merv rating of 13 to 16 is considered hospital-level air quality, so it's unlikely that your home will need more than that. According to the U.
S. Environmental Protection Agency, filters in the 7-13 range often have little difference to higher MERV ratings, but will allow your system to operate much more efficiently.In general, filters with higher Merv ratings capture higher percentages of particles, as well as smaller particles. And MERV-13* is practically where you want to be. Studies have found that airflow in the high MERV filters decreased by 7% and 11% in the two HVAC systems compared to the low MERV filters.
Similarly, the medium MERV filters also showed a decrease in airflow relative to the low MERV filters, this time 3% and 8% lower in both systems.Another unwanted effect of this reduced air flow occurs on the cooling side. The air conditioner has a hot coil outside, the condenser and a cold coil in the air handler inside. This cold coil has a specific preferred operating temperature which is based on a certain amount of hot air flowing through that coil and the coolant passing through that coil's copper tubing. With a higher Merv filter that reduces airflow through this crucial part of the air conditioning system, the cold coil can eventually freeze into an ice ball, restricting airflow completely.
Unprocessed, this causes more costly problems in the outdoor condenser coil.To further increase indoor air quality, household air purifiers that employ HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters can remove 99.97 percent of mold, pollen, bacteria and other particles as small as 0.3 microns, according to the U. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If the filter does not fit properly in the filter chamber, it can obstruct airflow and collapse inside the unit, causing a blockage.There is another mask from the health system that is also trying a face seal but I can't find the link buried in everything I've collected, lol There's this one interesting one who thinks it provides a seal made entirely of a vacuum HEPA filter bag. First, your air becomes cleaner which can help improve the longevity of your HVAC system.
It is recommended to change filters in this category every two to four weeks which may be difficult for some to maintain. My expertise is in aerosol science (fine particles in suspension such as air pollution) and therefore also in filtration.Another consequence of low air flow is that the air conditioner coil can get too cold and even freeze. Filters in this category can sometimes be referred to as rock traps because their job is to ensure that nothing too significant and devastating is absorbed by the HVAC unit at the very least. A Merv filter 13 is likely to help if the goal is to prevent droplets from passing through.
First of all, you are increasing the airflow resistance of your system which tries to release a certain amount of air to all rooms.It can be comforting to know that your expired filter isn't as bad as it could be but it's not doing anything else for you until you replace it. They tested all filters at the same width and height (16″ x 25″) but the depth ranged from 1″ to 4″. Home Energy published an article by Dave Springer of Davis Energy Group at the time on the pressure drop and energy use of several MERV filters. Visit a large store and head to the oven filter aisle - there are dozens sometimes a hundred or more options in front of you.
