MERV 13 Filters: A Must-Have for High-Quality Indoor Air
The indoor air quality is a very important consideration, if not the biggest, because most of the time we spend our time indoors.
Air filtration is a key point that helps maintain good indoor air quality; its rating is stated through Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). This article highlights MERV 13 filters—a highly preferred choice in the market for their superior quality in air filtration.
Understanding MERV Ratings
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This is, in fact, an accepted standard developed by ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers) against which filter performance is gauged. This numerical rating quantifies the ability to capture and filter particles and pollutants at certain sizes (ranging from 0.3 to 10 microns).
The MERV scale has numbers that range from 1 to 16, with higher values having better-filtering capabilities.
MERV 13 Filters: Brief Review
MERV 13 filters offer an efficient option for your businesses since they can remove everything from the smallest airborne particles to the largest.
This filter is capable of collecting particles with an effectiveness of 90% in the range of 3-10 micrometers (such as mold spores, dust mites, and pollen), 85% for particles of 1-3 micrometers (like fine dust and smoke), and 50% in the range of 0.3 to 1 micrometer (including bacteria, some viruses, and smoke).
Benefits of MERV 13 Filters
The advantages of using MERV 13 filters are that they efficiently remove most of the particles and thus help to enhance the quality of air while lowering the amount of allergens and irritants that may prove problematic for asthmatics and allergy sufferers. The design also captures hazardous substances like tobacco smoke and bacteria, making it even safer for health.
Notably, during the COVID-19 period, recommendations from both ASHRAE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included the use of MERV 13 filters or higher, as they could potentially stop circulating viruses and consequently control diseases.
MERV 13 Filter Applications: Internal
Some common applications of the MERV 13 filters include school installations, businesses and other commercial setups, hospital environments, and home use. They are used in HVAC systems and purifiers to achieve the best indoor air quality.
Thus, for commercial buildings, MERV 13 filtersoffer very high efficiency making them a popular choice to comply with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, which encourage green building practices along with good indoor air quality.
Other Things to Consider
While MERV 13 filters prove useful and have many benefits, they are dense compared to lower-rated filters and require more air power to move through them, so they might be increasing the energy consumption of your HVAC system. So, make sure your HVAC system can handle a MERV 13 filter, and in case it cannot, it might be worth making the upgrades to support them.
Due to the ability of these filters to capture more and smaller particles, compared to their counterparts with lower ratings, they may require changing more often. Manufacturers recommend changing the filter every 60-90 days, depending on air quality and use.
Conclusion
MERV 13 filters provide a great solution for high indoor air quality, reducing the risk of allergic reactions, asthma, and other health issues associated with poor air quality. They may, however, need a little more energy and frequent maintenance, but they are quite effective at picking up very small to very large pollutants, including viruses, making them worth the investment in our opinion.