With most people looking for better ways to protect themselves against potential airborne transmission of COVID-19, many products on the market are being promoted as effective devices to implement in their residences and businesses. One major step towards reducing the risk of COVID-19 noted by many health safety organizations would be the upgrade of the building’s air filter to one that is rated at a MERV 13 level or higher.
What is MERV? MERV stands “minimum efficiency reporting value” and a filter receives a MERV rating as determined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
With the recommendation of a MERV 13 or higher, does a MERV 13 filter satisfy your needs? A MERV 13 filter will trap, at its minimum efficiency- or in other words, when it is doing its worst, less than 75% of air particles that are 0.3-1.0 micron in size. Increasing the air particle size range to 3-10 microns, a MERV 13 filter will catch 90% or more of them while at its worst. Ultimately, an upgrade to a MERV 13 is a step in the right direction, but is it the best?
Here is where the HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter comes in. A HEPA filter is the creme dela creme in the air filter world. All HEPA filters have a rating of a MERV 17 or higher. A HEPA filter with a MERV 17 rating will trap 99.97% of air particles that are 0.3-1.0 micron in size. The filter is able to trap 99% of air particles 3 to 10 microns in size. This is much better than a MERV 13. And this is just the efficiency of the lowest-rated HEPA!
Considering the threat that the spread of COVID-19 poses, an upgrade of a building’s air filter to a HEPA is a far more effective step than just to a MERV 13 considering the small size of the virus (0.06-0.12 microns), the more efficient the filter is, the better. Also, don’t forget, the virus typically clings to other particles in the air or contained in droplets produced from a sneeze, cough, or even breathing. These infectious droplets typically range around 5 microns in size, and are thus much easier to catch by a HEPA.
At ISO-Aire, we provide the option of having a HEPA filter in your building without having to do a costly redesign of the current HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system by providing a HEPA in a stand-alone unit or by retrofitting your ductwork to allow it. Our HEPA filter is 99.99% effective or better at trapping air particles 0.3-1.0 microns in size, providing a high level of safety for those within your building. Even better, we combine the powerful HEPA filter with the proven technology of bipolar ionization, a technology that helps to agglomerate air particles into larger sizes, making it easier for the HEPA to catch them. An additional optional technology we offer is ultraviolet-C germicidal (UVC) irradiation which destroys viral DNA as it passes through our unit. Check out our blogs on bipolar ionization and UVC to learn more.
In conclusion, the investment of a HEPA filter will go a long way towards providing peace of mind for all those within the building.