Does a Merv 11 Filter Put Your HVAC at Risk?

In particular, using an air cleaner with a MERV rating that is too high can damage the compressor, heat exchanger, and air conditioner coil. In most cases, a MERV 11 air filter isn't too tall for residential use. The short answer is yes, but it's not really a problem, except in extreme circumstances. Most modern HVAC systems have no problem working with taller MERV filters, which is why millions of homeowners depend on them.

The main risk of high-efficiency air filters comes from the fact that they are not modified for long periods of time. If you keep abreast of changing filters, it's unlikely that you will experience any filter-related problems with your HVAC system. Using an oven filter with a MERV rating higher than your use case requires can have adverse effects. The thickness of the filter material in a MERV 11, for example, is greater than that of a MERV filter 8.Therefore, in order for sufficient air to pass through the filter, a greater amount of energy is consumed.

More use can cause more wear and tear, so be sure to maintain your oven regularly. However, MERV 11 filters are not considered too tall for residential use. Anything higher than a MERV 11 is designed for commercial or domestic homes with family members suffering from respiratory problems. For residential use, the standard recommendation is to choose an oven filter with a MERV rating between 7 and 13. For most Canadian homes, oven filters with MERV ratings in this range are sufficient to filter most airborne impurities.

It's best to comply with oven manufacturer's recommendations or consult an HVAC professional to determine exactly which MERV rating is best for your specific system. If you want to use pleated filters and superior MERV filters, the only safe way to do this is to have a 5-6 inch media filter installed by a professional. Also, if you want to try this modification of the MERV13 filter yourself, you should create many filter discs and change them after each exposure to several people. The Merv 16 would be the best option since it will filter 95%. There is even a YouTube video that shows how to make your own N95 mask with a Merv 16 filter. A MERV 13 filter is likely to help if the goal is to prevent droplets from passing through.

Therefore, the MERV rating system provides a standard for comparing a variety of oven filters from different manufacturers. Low-efficiency filters are generally within MERV 1-4 and high-efficiency filters are MERV 13 and later. Increasing a filter to increasing a filter to a higher MERV can increase the delta P across the filter. Filter technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and MERV ratings are designed to help us determine the most effective and efficient air filter options for heating and cooling systems and more. While ASHRAE recommends MERV 13 and 14, it's best to select a filter with the highest possible MERV rating for your specific HVAC system. Not all filters have a Merv rating &, many of them are purchased at large stores.

The MERV rating of the air filter indicates whether the filter will capture particulate matter at a rate between 84.9% and 90%.

Mary Swopshire
Mary Swopshire

Friendly beer aficionado. Tv nerd. Hipster-friendly writer. Friendly internet specialist. Professional beer maven. Extreme twitter guru.

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