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All About MERV Ratings

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If you’re interested in indoor air quality, then we know that you’re interested in MERV ratings. MERV is what determines the efficiency of the indoor air quality system you’re investing in. This an acronym we want to get you familiar with today. It’s something that you need to know if you want proper indoor air quality in Oregon City, OR.

We’re going to take a deeper dive into everything you need to know today. Make sure that you’re thinking of these guidelines when you’re about to purchase an indoor air quality system. If you ever have any in-depth questions, you can get in touch with our team of professionals for personalized service.

What Is MERV?

Let’s take it from the top—what is MERV? MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. In laymen’s terms, this is the rating that’s used to measure the efficiency of your home’s air filter.

Make sure you’re taking note of where this acronym appears when you’re shopping for home IAQ systems. It makes all the difference in your home.

“How Does a Higher MERV Rating Affect the Efficiency?”

This is the question we hear most often coming from homeowners we speak with. It’s a great question. Logically speaking, you’d like that a higher MERV rating means a better system. We want to clear this up today because this isn’t always the case.

MERV ratings range from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV rating, the fewer dust particles and contaminants can pass through it. Now, just because less particles get through a higher numbered filter, doesn’t mean that you should run right and a MERV filter with a 16 point rating. A higher MERV rating can actually create more resistance for your home’s HVAC system.

Generally speaking, IAQ systems with higher MERV ratings are intended for places like businesses and hospitals. Putting a system with a high MERV rating in your home can be overkill. You might actually create a home with lower indoor air quality as a result.

“How Often Should I Change My Filter?”

This is another question that we get pretty often. You should change your home’s indoor air quality once a season or once every three months. A good rule of thumb to abide by is: the higher the MERV rating, the more often you should change your filter.

Finding the sweet spot for you and your home is personal. We’re here to help you with our professional guidance.

Get Professional Service

Professional work is what’s going to make the biggest difference in your home. You can have all the right equipment, but if you don’t have the right team to install it, it’s going to be useless to you. We want you to have all the right equipment to have a successful, healthy home. Great indoor air quality isn’t something that you’re going to just come by. If you’d like to improve the overall quality of your home, we’re here to help.

Contact Chase Heating and Cooling today for your home’s indoor air quality work.

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