What Merv Filter Should I Have For My Goodman Furnace

Since it's withal winter, hither's a quick PSA – when was the last time you lot replaced your furnace filter? Most disposable filters should be replaced every three months.

At present that we have that covered, allow's talk about how to select the correct air filter for your furnace. Ane important attribute to look at is the filter's MERV rating.

What does MERV mean?

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, which is a rating organization designed past the American Lodge of Heating, Refrigerating and Ac Engineers (ASHRAE). The rating indicates the size of particles the air filter is designed to capture. Ranging from 1 to 20, the larger the number, the better the filter is at catching small particles.

Below is a table grouping MERV ratings by particle size:

MERV	Min. particle size	Typical controlled contaminant	Typical Awarding
1–4	> 10.0 μm	Pollen, dust mites, cockroach debris, sanding dust, spray paint dust, textile fibers, carpet fibers	Residential window Air conditioning units
5–8	10.0–3.0 μm	Mold, spores, dust mite debris, true cat and dog dander, hair spray, fabric protector, dusting aids, pudding mix	Ameliorate residential, general commercial, industrial workspaces
9–12	three.0–1.0 μm	Legionella, Humidifier dust, Lead dust, Milled flour, Auto emission particulates, Nebulizer droplets	Superior residential, ameliorate commercial, hospital laboratories
xiii–16	one.0–0.iii μm	Leaner, droplet nuclei (sneeze), cooking oil, most smoke, and insecticide grit, most face pulverization, most paint pigments	infirmary & general surgery
17–20	< 0.iii μm	Virus, carbon dust, sea salt, smoke	Electronics & pharmaceutical manufacturing cleanroom

Note: Tabular array copied from Wikipedia

What MERV Should I Use in My Home Furnace?

In full general, filters with college MERV ratings are more effective and improve air quality – but are also more expensive. Plus, college doesn't always hateful improve for homeowners. MERV ratings higher up 16 are typically used in specialized commercial settings where air filtration is critical, such as hospitals.

For residential furnaces, filters range from 4 to 12 on the MERV scale. A basic MERV 4 filter will likely be the cheapest but won't catch certain small particles (like dust mites and pet dander) that could be in your home. If your family has health or allergy issues, then you may want to wait for a high-efficiency filter that's MERV 11 or higher. But for most households, a MERV seven or 8 filter might be the sweet spot betwixt performance and cost.

Other Rating Systems.

When shopping for furnace air filters, don't confuse MERV with other rating systems that may announced on packaging (especially from big box home comeback stores). This isn't to say i organisation is right and the other is wrong – they're but rated by different standards.

A word of caution.

One final notation. Since higher-charge per unit filters allow less air to menstruum through your furnace, it's a proficient thought to bank check if your system has a maximum MERV rating. The wrong type of air filter can force your furnace to work harder and increment the risk of it breaking downward.

If you have whatsoever questions almost picking the right air filter for your abode furnace, requite Robert B. Payne, Inc. a call, and nosotros'll exist happy to provide our good opinion.