Filter Frequently Asked Questions

A micron is short for micrometer, one-millionth (0.000001) of one meter. There are 1,000 microns in a millimeter and 10,000 microns in a centimeter. 40 to 50 microns are the smallest that are still visible to the human eye. 20 to 25 micron is the size of a white blood cell and talcum power is around 10 micron, bacteria is 3 micron. The smaller the micron the smaller the size.

A beta ratio is determined from a multi-pass test that is performed on a filter to determine the efficiency of the micron rating. Beta Ratio 2 is 50% efficient, 75 is 98.70%, 200 is 99.50%, 1000 is 99.90% and 2000 means the filter 99.95%. Simply put, β10=1000 means the filter media removes 99.90% of particles 10 micron and larger.

It is how much a dirt or contamination an element can retain before it becomes clogged and must be replaced.

Is a test that is used to determine the beta ratio, micron rating and dirt holding capacity of a filter element.

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. Higher MERV ratings, means smaller particles are captured. Residential furnace filters range from Merv 8 to 13.

When you are performing your routine maintenance according to your equipment manual. However, if you notice a loss of power or decrease in pressure check your filter.

Yes, we can provide replacement elements for most popular housings.

UL® (Underwriters Laboratory) Listing means that UL has tested representative samples of the product and determined that it meets UL's requirements. These requirements are based primarily on UL's published and nationally recognized Standards for Safety. All filters used inside U.S. Dispensers are required to be UL Listed.