When it comes to air quality, the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) and the Filter Performance Rating (FPR) are two of the most important classification systems used in the air filtration industry. Developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the MERV rating system uses a scale of 1 to 16, with higher ratings indicating better filtration of air pollutants. The FPR system, on the other hand, was developed by a different organization and uses four specific metrics. To help you understand the relationship between these two rating systems, we'll analyze their differences and provide an FPR to MERV chart and a MERV to FPR graph.The FPR 6 — 7 is equivalent to the MERV 8 — 11 classification.
Similarly, the FPR 8-9 is equivalent to the MERV 11. In terms of color coding, FPR under 4 and FPR 5 are green, FPR 6 and FPR 7 are red, FPR 8 and FPR 9 are purple, and FPR 10 is black. However, there are no designated equivalents for MERV 14, MERV 15, and MERV 16 on the FPR scale. When it comes to airflow problems with higher MERV ratings, newer units shouldn't have any issues. However, older models may work harder with a MERV 13 filter installed than when they originally had a MERV 6 filter in the air intake.
The filters will perform lower than their MERV rating if the speed is higher than the tested speed, and will exceed their MERV rating if the speed is much lower. For residential areas, air contaminants can be removed from MERV 8 to MERV 13. Hospitals usually use filters with a MERV rating of 14 to 20. It's important to note that a higher MERV rating may mean slightly more restricted airflow; however, most current HVAC systems are capable of handling a MERV 11 air filter without overloading the system. To summarize, when comparing MERV versus FPR and FPR versus MERV, it's important to understand that while both rating systems measure air quality, they use different metrics. The charts provided in this article should help you convert between these two systems so that you can choose the right filter for your needs.
