Are MERV 13 Filters Worth Buying?

The problem of poor air quality is increasing day by day, and this is affecting humans rapidly. This issue is caused by many factors and these factors are inevitable. So what should you do in these kinds of circumstances? The engineers of today’s world have created air filters. These things are medium between air and your HVAC system. For those who don’t know about HVAC, it is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioner system. An air filter stands between the system and the air; when the air passes through the filter, contaminants in the air are captured, and you get clean air to breathe.

The efficiency of an air filter is measured by MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) ratings. In this rating system, the capturing ability of an air filter is measured by the size of an air particle it can capture; the size is measured in micrometers (microns). You guys are here today to know whether the MERV 13 filter is worth buying or not. Well, you came to the right place. In this blog, you will get all the answers related to the MERV 13 filter. So don’t miss any sections of this blog.

What Is MERV 13 Air Filter?

The MERV 13 air filters are considered the highest-rated filter for residential uses. The MERV ratings range between 1 and 20, which means a filter with a rating of 13 is one of the highest-rated filters. During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, huge organizations like ASHRAE (creator of MERV), CDC, and OSHA highly recommended that people use a MERV 13 air filter in their homes to prevent getting infected by the coronavirus. These filters are made of polypropylene or acrylic fibers; these synthetic and plastic-based materials help the filter to eliminate airborne particles efficiently in your home.

Advantages And Disadvantages of MERV 13

As you can understand by reading the above section about the MERV 13 filters, these filters are great for residential uses. But you know that everything in the world has pros and cons too. So a 13-rated air filter also has some advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the main pluses and minuses of the MERV 13 air filter:

Advantages

Higher Capacity To Filtration: The MERV 13 air filters have high filtration ability because of higher ratings of MERV. These filters efficiently remove large airborne particles as well as smaller ones like pollen, dust mites, mold spores, etc. of sizes of 1.0 to 3.0 microns and more. Due to this, your indoor air is always free from the contaminants that low-rated filters can’t provide.

Improves Indoor Air Quality: Because of higher MERV ratings, these filters can improve indoor air quality more efficiently than average low-rated air filters. MERV 13 filters remove almost 85% of airborne particles of size 1.0 microns and more, and they can remove around 50% of particles that have a size between 0.3 and 1.0 microns. So using a MERV 13 filter will be effected for your home.

Prevent And Help In Allergies: MERV 13 air filters will help you in the prevention of allergies and give you relief from current allergies. The allergies occur when your immune system detects a threat from an airborne particle. Allergies like pollen allergy and respiratory conditions like asthma are caused by poor air quality by terminating contaminants that cause these issues. Merv 13 filters provide you with a safe environment.

Have A Good Lifespan: These air filters have a lifespan between 3 and 6 months, but this timeline also depends on some factors. A decent life of MERV 13 air filters gives you a breath of relief from buying new filters every month. You just need to bring them and forget about it for 2 months and live in your home with clean air.

Disadvantages

Increased Energy Bills: The MERV 13 air filters may increase your energy bills. Your bills get affected due to more work on your HVAC system. These restrict some supply of air to the system, and if the sufficient air supply for the HVAC unit is not fulfilled, then the unit will force its components to maintain the needed air supply, which will increase energy consumption and your electric bill will increase.

High Airflow Resistance: Airflow resistance means the pressure that is put on air when it passes through the filter. MERV 13 filters have high airflow resistance, and that means that your HVAC unit needs to work harder to consume air so it can work properly. This may increase the chances of overheating your system. So it is necessary to maintain your filter regularly.

Problem With Compatibility: Many HVAC systems support MERV 13 filters and many don’t. The compatibility depends on factors like airflow resistance. Some HVAC units don’t support high airflow rates, so it is important to have a good quality system that can support MERV 13 filters, and if your unit doesn’t support it, your money will get wasted.

Expensive Than Low-Rated Filters: The price of high-rated filters like MERV 13 can be expensive for some individuals. The price of these filters ranges from $15 to $40, and this is pretty expensive for the initial cost. So some people will choose low-rated filters because of the high price.

MERV 13 Vs. MERV 11 Vs. MERV 8

There are two competitors of MERV 13 filters available on the market, and those are MERV 11 and MERV 8. Three of these filters have different features; here is a table that shows the comparison between these filters:

Are MERV 13 Filters Worth Buying?

The MERV 13 filters have many benefits when you use them properly. Many of you must be thinking about whether these filters are worth buying for you or not. Well in this section, you will learn about some factors that make these filters worth it.

Home Condition

Every home has different indoor conditions. If your home has a high amount of dust, you should buy a MERV 13 air filter. When your home is not going through regular cleaning, then the environment in your house will start to become poor. If you are a person who somehow how not able to keep your home in good condition, then you should invest in high-rated MERV filters.

Air Quality

The quality of air in your house is also an important factor to consider before buying a high-MERV-rated filter. Air quality can be decreased due to many reasons. If more people live in the house, then they will bring contaminants inside your house that will cause a decrease in air quality. Pet owners should consider that their pets are well-groomed because they cause pet dander, which, combined with air, makes your house filled with poor air. MERV 13 filters are worth buying to control poor air quality in your home.

Health Concerns

Your health is one of the most important factors that you should consider before buying a good-quality MERV filter. Individuals who have allergies related to poor air, like pollen allergy, mold allergy, dust mite allergy, and respiratory conditions like asthma, should invest in MERV 13 filters. These filters can capture contaminants like dust mites, pollen, and mold from the air and give a safe environment.

Odors

Bad odors are a common problem in most homes, and they are caused by many things, like your pets, cooking, cleaning products that release VOCs, and many more. So if you are facing problems like this in your home, then purchasing a MERV 13 filter is a great choice. These filters are efficient at removing VOCs, smoke, and other odor-causing agents.

Price

Before buying anything, everyone thinks about the price because it is one of the major things that can impact their budget. The price of MERV 13 filters ranges between 15 and 40 dollars, and that can be expensive for many individuals, but its efficiency in removing contaminants from the air makes the price worth it.

Conclusions

Having an environment in your house filled with clean air is important in this world where the outside condition of the air is very poor. To purify the air inside your house, engineers have created air filters for your HVAC system, and to know the filter’s efficiency, they created MERV ratings. These ratings help you know which air filter is needed for your home. For residential uses, the MERV 13 filters are considered the best because they can remove both large and small airborne particles.

There are also two popular variants of MERV filters available on the market, which are MERV 8 and 11. These filters are good at cleaning air but are less efficient than the high-rated ones. The price of the MERV 13 can be expensive for some individuals, but it is good for the long term. So thinking, where will you find these filters? Well, you are a lucky person because Custom Filters Direct is here. We provide high-quality filters with MERV ratings of 8, 11, and 13. Our specialty is that we provide customized filters that complete your needs. So for more details, contact us now at (877) 812-7983.

MERV 8 Air Filters

MERV 11 Air Filters

MERV 13 Air Filters

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