Filtration for your home
Filters today are rated in a term called MERV. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, and is measured by a number between one and 16. The higher the number, the better the filter!
Most homes are equipped with a simple filter installed directly the Return-Air Grille, commonly located in a hallway or some common area to a home. This filter is a MERV-1 filter. Basically it’s the lowest grade filter available, and is installed primarily as a protective measure to keep large particulates from getting into your furnace’s blower and coil.
With the increasing problem with Indoor Air Quality in the San Joaquin Valley, combined with the increase in respiratory problems in today’s youth, the filtration in your home has become outdated.
The good news, there are many filtration options out there that could help alleviate many of the symptoms that we experience every day.
| MERV Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | A typical polyester or fiberglass filter. Only affective to about 20% |
| 6, 7 | Pleated panel filters, typically used in office environments. Effective to 25% |
| 11 | Pleated Filters, applied in commercial applications. Effective to 65% |
| 13 | Typically applied in above-average commercial applications. Effective to 85% |
| 15 | Doctor's Offices, near-sterile environments. 95% effective. |
We’ve had great success installing MERV-16 filters into homes and seen dramatic reductions in indoor air contaminants. The filter installs as a bolt-on product, attaching directly to your furnace in the attic. An adapter would be required for use with a Dual-pack (rooftop) system. The one downfall to the media filters as a general rule, however, is that in order for the filter to work, air must travel through it. This means that your air handler must be running for the filter to do its job. Given the current utility rates in the area, the everyday home owner is not interested in this solution!
As a direct alternative to the media filters, we use a HEPA filter produced by Honeywell, a leader in Indoor Air Quality and Controller products relating to the HVAC industry. The Honeywell ® Whole-House HEPA Air Cleaner solution is a self-powered fan that drives air through its patented three-stage filtration, and runs independently of your air conditioning system, thus drastically reducing its operating costs, while maintaining peak efficiency. Honeywell has conducted studies where they’ve seen a 99.97% reduction in the pollutants in the air that passes through the filter.
