Educational Articles & Latest News
What Is MERV?
Every other month or so, you should change the air filter in your home air conditioning and heating system to help protect the air you breathe. The air filter traps particles that would otherwise continue to circulate through your home. And it protects your air conditioning and heating unit from damage. If large particles were to enter the unit, they may damage the equipment. In fact, this is the reason the air filter was originally added into forced air systems, which means its primary purpose was not for air purification but as a safeguard against costly damages.
You must change the filter every couple of months so that your AC and heating unit does not run into trouble if the airflow is insufficient. When you do, try to locate the MERV of the new filter you’ve selected. The MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) is a number 1 through 16 which represents how effective that filter is at improving the indoor air quality. A higher number means the filter will remove more and smaller particles.
The MERV of your standard home filter is anywhere between one and six. This may not remove some of the most common contaminants known to cause allergies, such as pollen and mold spores. A higher MERV should keep your air cleaner, but this isn’t always the case. If the MERV is too high, there may not be enough airflow to your HVAC system, and it can suffer from a number of common issues like short cycling. You may want to consult with a technician to find the level of filtration that works best.
Air purification systems may also be rated using the MERV scale if they contain filters. Ask your HVAC technician whether an electronic air filtration system is right for you. It often works in coordination with your home HVAC unit so that every portion of your home is protected.
Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning gives you access to indoor air quality experts with years of experience installing and servicing indoor air quality needs. Call now!
Related Expert Center Articles
Qualities to Look for in Commercial HVAC Repair Services
During a long, hot summer in Southern Arizona, a powerful air conditioner is essential for the success of any business. With the amount of strain that you will place on your company’s AC during the summer months, you need to have the number of an excellent Tucson, AZ commercial HVAC repair service handy should something go wrong with your cooling. You’ll also need to keep them in mind for the rest of the year, should you also need work for your heater. But what separates a good commercial H...
Don’t Forget to Schedule Heating Maintenance
The temperature around here during the daytime hours is still pretty warm, although, at night, things are getting noticeably cooler. Sure, we’re hanging around the mid-60’s for the most part right now, but it won’t be long before temps in the 50’s, and even the 40’s, are commonplace. Our mild winters do not mean that you can overlook the need for professional heating maintenance in Phoenix, AZ. Before our nights get any colder, you should dial our number and schedule routine heating m...
Thermostat Tips for a Better Cooling Performance
There are a lot of different components in your home cooling system, but not a single one do you interact with more directly than your thermostat. It is your thermostat, after all, through which you communicate with your air conditioning system in order to regulate its performance. Because of this, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you are using your thermostat in Phoenix, AZ as successfully as possible. While you may not think of a thermostat as being very complex, the fact of the matte...