When it comes to air quality, a filter with a moderate MERV rating is usually more than enough to keep your home clean. But what about the highest MERV ratings? Can they be too effective for your HVAC system?The answer is yes. High MERV filters can cause damage to your HVAC system if you're not careful. The pores in these filters are much smaller, allowing them to trap more contaminants from the air stream.
But this also adds more resistance to the system. It's like when you wear a mask and feel your lungs work harder - the same thing happens to the lungs of your boiler or air conditioner when they have to work too hard with a filter that has a MERV rating too high for them to handle. Higher MERV filters can also reduce airflow, but this depends on other factors such as the size of the filter and the type of fan motor in the HVAC system. For example, a 3D printed face mask with a MERV 13 filter may be more restrictive than a 4-inch thick MERV 12 filter. When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting your filters, washing them with alcohol could create some strange and potentially dangerous chemicals. To avoid this, you can use sunlight to disinfect them instead.
However, this could break down high Merv filters and release unwanted chemicals. In this case, degassing an activated carbon filter with high Merv content may be your best bet. In conclusion, if you think that a high MERV filter would work for you, then go for it. Just make sure to replace dirty filters frequently enough (26%), which can be every week or two depending on the MERV index, the effective area of the filter and the amount of particles that enter your home. Peace of mind is priceless and with this guide, you can make sure that your HVAC system is safe from any potential damage caused by high MERV filters.
