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Merv ratings are a more quantifiable way to measure the effectiveness of a filter to remove contaminants from the air stream.

A filter with a MERV rating of 3 is a typical home furnace filter and is about 15% efficient at removing dust. A MERV 7 is one of the better residential furnace filters you can purchase and is about 25% efficient at removing dust. A MERV 12 filter is the top of the line filter for residential use and is about 70% efficient. There are multiple steps in between and there are steps above that are used in commercial applications. HEPA filters that you will see for residential use and in clean room applications are designed to remove 99.97% of all particulate 0.3 microns and above and are rated at a MERV 17. For reference, hair is 25 microns in diameter.

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15y ago

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