Understanding The Function Of Industrial Filters To Choose The Best One

One of the most overlooked parts of a building’s HVAC system is the air filters. While they may appear non-important as a box full of pleated materials or fibers, industrial filters impact some of the crucial aspects of the system performance and your indoor comfort. So, here is a good explanation about their function for you to appreciate them more and know which to choose for your application.

The Function of Air Filters

Industrial filters are usually made from paper or cloth, or fiberglass that is enclosed in a cardboard frame. Their primary function is to filter contaminants from the air to make it clean as it passes through your HVAC system. They can trap and collect many kinds of particles that can negatively affect your health and comfort, including dust, dirt, pollen, mould, fibers, lint, and spores. They are also able to filter bacteria and other minuscule microorganisms.

MERV Rating

However, not all air filters are made the same and they are rated differently according to their efficiency. Though they tend to be more expensive, highest-rated air filters are very capable of removing almost every contaminant from indoor air. Their efficiency is indicated by their MERV or minimum efficiency reporting value rating that ranges from 1 to 16. A Higher MERV rating means higher efficiency or better filtration.

The highest-rated industrial filters, with MERV ratings 13 - 16, are the best options available. They can trap very tiny particles up to 0.3 microns in size. The mid-range ones rated with MERV 9 - 12, are also of high quality and capable of capturing small particles of 1 micron or bigger. For domestic or residential applications, filters rated with MERV 6 - 8 provide good filtration already and are usually made from pleated cloth or paper. Finally, filters that provide the least filtration abilities are those with MERV ratings from 1 - 5.

Based on those ratings, you can carefully choose the filter that would be the most suitable for your filtration purposes and the kind of contaminants you want to trap.