Do you want to ensure your home air is properly filtered? MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a standard measure of a filter's ability to remove particulate matter from your home air. The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 20, with lower ratings indicating lower quality filters. To determine the right filter for your furnace, you need to measure the length and width (L x W) of the filter, as well as its thickness (depth) from front to back. The best MERV rating for residential use is one that properly cleans the air in your home without reducing airflow or overloading the air conditioning equipment.
Filters with a MERV rating of 8 to 13 are usually high-end filters for domestic use or high-quality commercial filters. Lennox offers the MERV 16 filter option in the Lennox Pureair system, which is one of the highest-efficiency residential filters available. When searching by brand such as Lennox or Carrier to find the size of a Carrier furnace filter by model number, you can use a Carrier filter size search from the table above or search the Lennox size upwards. Keep in mind that the model numbers of many filters are very similar, so make sure you check the actual size (the actual dimensions of the filter) to ensure you have the correct filter. When selecting an air filter for your furnace, it is important to consider both the MERV rating and size of the filter.
The higher the MERV rating, the more efficient the filter will be at removing airborne particles from your home. However, it is also important to make sure that you select a filter that is not too large or too small for your furnace. If you select a filter that is too large, it can reduce airflow and cause your furnace to work harder than necessary. On the other hand, if you select a filter that is too small, it may not be able to effectively remove all of the airborne particles from your home. If you are unsure which type of air filter is best for your furnace, it is best to consult with an HVAC professional who can help you select a filter that meets both your needs and budget.
They can also help you determine if your furnace requires a specific MERV rated air filter.