Furnace Filters and MERV Ratings

MERV is an acronym for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Or in English, “how well does your air filter work?” MERV ratings have a range from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV rating, the more efficient at removing dust particles and other contaminants that exist in your air. The MERV scale was designed to represent a filter’s worst possible performance at removing odors and particles 0.3 to 10 microns in size, which is microscopic!

Some of the common things that filters remove from the air are pollen, textile and carpet fibers, dust mites, mold, dust, spores, pet dander, bacteria, and tobacco smoke. Most homes can adequately remove airborne contaminants with a filter rated MERV 7 to 12, but for people with bad allergies or an acute sense of smell, MERV 13 to 16 can also be used in the residential setting to maximize the removal of contaminants from the air.

For Your Madison Furnace System

Contact the heating experts at All Comfort Services online or call 608-838-7300 to schedule your furnace tune-up or repair.

Kendall Richards

Kendall was president of All Comfort Services for 18 years and retired in 2023. “My best experience here is working as a team to serve customers by responding to their requests along with our team,” says Kendall. “I believe in servant leadership, and I am responsible for every team member and every customer.” He says, “Great customers make the daily demands of running a fast-paced business easy. It’s rewarding when a customer shows us they appreciate the extraordinary effort we put forth.”