ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. This is an international organization of 50,000 members. The purpose of it is to do research, write standards and publications, and to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. ASHRAE writes standards that set uniform methods of testing and rating equipment and establish accepted practices for the HVAC&R industry.
MERV - Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This is a system established by ASHRAE to rate a filter's minimum efficiency values. To find this value, the test looks at 12 different particle size bans from 0.3 microns to 10 microns and compares them to 6 different stages of loading the air cleaner with synthetic dust to simulate field conditions.
Designations range from:
MERV I (typically a low-efficiency throw-away filter) to a MERV 16 (a 95%-plus ASHRAE filter). The MERV system allows you to compare efficiencies of filters at a glance.
Peeks Heating & Air Conditioning . B 2926 8 Ave N . Lethbridge, AB . ph: 403.328-7335