What Do MERV, MPR, and FPR Mean?

Indoor air quality is top of mind for many people these days, for obvious reasons – but the truth is it should always be top of mind if you want to live as healthy as possible in your central MA home, especially during spring allergy season.

If you own a forced air HVAC system (one with a furnace and vents rather than a boiler with baseboards or radiators), one of your most important tasks is to regularly check and change its filters. A clean filter will do a better job blocking the microorganisms, dander, and other contaminants that fly around inside your home; without having to ward off those irritants, your immune system will have more resources left to fight bigger battles. A clean air filter will also prevent your equipment from overworking, which means lower energy bills, less maintenance, and a longer lifespan for your equipment.

How do I choose an HVAC air filter?

When it comes time to buy your replacement filter, you’ll encounter a sea of confusing acronyms. Don’t worry, they’re pretty easy to figure out once you understand a few basics.

Three terms you might hear when shopping for a replacement filter for your HVAC system are MERV, MPR, FPR. Each term describes a system that uses numbers to describe the tightness of the filter weave, with higher numbers indicating finer filtration. The only difference among the three systems is who manufactured them.

• MERV, or Minimum efficiency reporting value, is a measure developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); MERV ratings range from 1-20.
• MPR, or Micro-Particle Performance Rating, pertains only to products developed by the 3M company; typical MPR ratings range from 300 to 2200.
• FPR, or Filter Performance Rating, is a filter rating system developed by Home Depot for the brands sold through its stores, including Honeywell; it uses a 1-10 rating scale.

Converting MERV, MPR and FPR values

Here’s a conversion table of MERV, MPR and FPR ratings for common residential usage (higher-valued filters are often used in hospitals and operating rooms, but are not necessary for home use):

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