When it comes to air filters, the number 1000 can be confusing. It is a rating system used to measure the efficiency of air filters in trapping particles. The rating system is known as the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) and it is used to measure the effectiveness of air filters in capturing particles between 3 and 10 microns. The higher the MERV rating, the more and smaller particles will be trapped by the filter.
The MERV rating scale was developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to help consumers understand what type of air filter is best suited to their home's needs. It ranges from 1 to 16, with 1 being the lowest and 16 being the highest. An MPR 600 filter is roughly equivalent to a MERV 7 air filter, while an MPR 1000 filter is roughly equivalent to a MERV 11 air filter. HVAC air filters with a MERV rating between 9 and 12 capture particles between 1.0 and 3.0 microns.
The higher MERV rating means that an air filter will capture the most dust, while the lower rating means that a filter will capture the least amount of dust. These HVAC air filters capture up to 80 percent of airborne particles between 3 and 10 microns, and up to 94 percent of all airborne particles between 3 and 10 microns. They are capable of trapping larger allergens, as well as smaller particles, such as smog and bacteria. In addition, these HVAC air filters eliminate the smallest allergens, such as viruses and bacteria. They can remove larger allergen particles, such as microbiological growth, pet dander and other household particles.
They also eliminate particles such as viruses, odors, smoke, smog and bacteria. When evaluating your home's air quality needs, it is important to consider your lifestyle and home comfort goals. For example, households with indoor smokers and those without indoor smokers will need different air conditioning filters to achieve the same level of indoor air quality. Similarly, homeowners who have pets inside the house deal with additional pet dander and all the external allergens they bring into the house on a daily basis. These homes will need to use different HVAC air filters than homes without pets. My recommendation is to buy filters with a MERV rating whenever possible.
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is your local HVAC expert in North America and helps you make informed decisions for your home. Simply choose the size of your air filter, choose how often you want to replace it, and we'll make sure your new filter is there when you need it. For more information on MPR ratings and their relationship to air filtration efficiency, see the 3M guide to MPR versus MERV filters. With the different filter classifications invented by various institutions, it can be difficult to decipher exactly which air filter classification you should use.
