When we set out to build a new construction home, we had a lot of research to do. Having lived in NYC apartments for the previous 20 years made the job a lot harder. We’d always relied on a superintendent to think about the furnace, the water heater, and all the other systems that made our building run. So we had a lot of catching up to do. Related: The Meaning Behind GREEN Now that our home has been built, we have begun doing regular maintenance on our HVAC system. In the process, we’ve been faced with something called a MERV filter. Or is that some robot from Star Wars? I had no idea. So for the uninitiated (like I was), here’s a quick primer on MERV ratings and what they mean: MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Or in English, “how effective is your air filter?” MERV ratings range from 1-16. The higher the MERV rating on a filter, the fewer dust particles and other contaminants can pass through it. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) designed the MERV scale to represent a filter’s worst possible performance at removing particles .3 to 10 microns in size (that’s really small!).

Some of the common particles that filters are tested for include pollen, dust mites, textile and carpet fibers, mold spores, dust, pet dander, bacteria and tobacco smoke. Most residential systems can adequately remove airborne contaminants with a filter rated MERV 7-12. MERV 13-16 is typically found in hospital and general surgery settings.cheap ac repair houston tx Higher Is Not Betterair conditioner heater through wall unit You might think that a higher MERV rating would automatically be better, but it’s not. air handling unit qualificationThe higher the MERV rating, the smaller the pores are for air to flow through an HVAC filter. This can create more resistance in airflow than a system is designed to manage, thus making it inefficient.

Reducing the air flow in your system can actually worsen the air quality in your home and put a damaging amount of pressure on the fan of your furnace or AC system. So it is worth doing some research. Find out what the highest MERV rated filter is that still allows for maximum airflow in your system. Filters with higher MERV ratings need to be changed more frequently (at least every three months) to avoid restricted airflow that can cause your system to work inefficiently or possibly even damage it. We discovered that our MERV filters are a custom size, which makes them about three times more expensive than standard-size filters you can buy at big box stores. When you’re changing filters four times a year, that really adds up. So if you’re working with a builder to design a system, keep that in mind. As has happened so many times in this home-building journey, I discover I don’t even know what I don’t know! But figuring out what that MERV rating on my filter actually means does make me breathe a little easier.

For more on HVAC filters, consider: Quick Tip: Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air QualityAs you know, our primary focus on PowerTips is to provide you with tips, tactics, and techniques for building a strong, consistently profitable remodeling company. But sometimes we just need to make sure you’re on top of the latest industry news! This week we’re proud to have Stefanie Petersen with Ferguson to share the key changes to HVAC Efficiency standards in 2015. In April 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed upcoming changes for HVAC efficiency standards for residential and commercial equipment. However, according to a survey by Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., 74 percent of contractors are unaware of the change and how to best prepare their staff and inventory to meet customer demand and new regulations. Below are key aspects every remodeler should know. New Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standards will be enforced for air conditioners and heat pumps installed on or after January 1, 2015;

however, standards differ by region. The current 13 SEER standard for air conditioners will move to 14 SEER in most areas, but 13 SEER air conditioning units can still be sold in the northern region. The most significant product change regarding the new regulations involves all split-system heat pumps. All regions will move from 13 SEER and 7.7 HSPF, Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, to the new national heat pump efficiency minimum of 14 SEER and 8.2 HSPF. Additionally, the changes also affect the FTC EnergyGuide label, commonly referred to as the yellow “hang tag”, attached to the heating and cooling system. The label contains SEER and HSPF ratings for the unit in relation to similar models. Instead of a single rating point, new labels for split-system air conditioners and heat pumps will now be shown in a range representing the lowest and highest SEER ratings for all the condenser’s certified coil combinations. This means all of the component parts in the entire system, inside and out, must have an aggregate SEER that meets the new guidelines.

Education surrounding the new standards is key, as enforcement will begin in less than five months. Remodelers and contractors should be able to identify that the equipment being installed meets the minimum standards of the new regulations as well as meets the needs of the customer. The majority of U.S. manufacturers already offer 14 SEER heat pump systems, and many manufacturers may spruce up current 14 SEER designs to meet product demands for 2015 inventory stocking. While the changes are effective January 1, 2015, the new regulation also includes an 18-month grace period for distributors to sell their remaining inventory. Image courtesy of Emerson Climate Technologies Air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps all have different regulations and different rating criteria. It is important to keep these ratings in mind when you are comparing various systems from different manufacturers as they will tell you the true performance characteristics of each.  Because these can be confusing to read, below is a brief summary on the ratings and what they mean.

SEER – This stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio” and is simply the average efficiency at which your central air conditioner will run during various conditions.  An average is used because the efficiency performance will change from the hottest summer months to the warm spring or fall months. The U.S. currently has a minimum SEER rating of 13 for all central air conditioners.  High efficiency systems are rated above 16 SEER and deliver the most energy savings throughout the year. EER – This stands for “Energy Efficiency Rating.” This is a peak load rating, which tells you how efficiently your air conditioner will perform on the hottest days.  This rating is important to consider if you live in very hot, dry areas that remain hot most of the year as the system will be at or near peak load more often.  EER’s range from 8 to more than 15 and should not be confused with SEER ratings. An EER rating over 12 is excellent.  Some systems have very good SEER ratings, but are compromised on their peak load performance. 

If you live in a hot area you should evaluate both SEER and EER to keep your electricity bill low in the summer.  If you are in a more moderate climate zone it would be better to focus on the SEER ratings. HSPF – This stands for “Heating Seasonal Performance Factor” and is a rating used to describe a system’s heat pump efficiency. These ratings range from 8 to more than 13 HSPF.  As with SEER and EER, a higher number represents a more efficient system.   If you’re using a heat pump with another heating source, such as a gas furnace, the HSPF will only be reflective of the heat pump and not the duel system capacity. AFUE – This stands for “Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency” and is the standard efficiency rating for furnaces that burn fossil fuels like natural gas or heating oil.  AFUE ratings are expressed in terms of efficiency percentages where the lowest efficiency equipment might have AFUEs of around 70% and the highest efficiencies are more than 90%.