HVAC Label Guide

What MERV rating to use

Last updated: 2026-10-28

Use the highest MERV your system fan and filter slot can take, the EPA says. For a whole-house cabinet, pick from the filters its maker lists for it. AprilAire, Honeywell Home and Lennox list MERV 10 to MERV 16.

The EPA and Trane on choosing a rating

The EPA ties the choice to your equipment. It says to use “as high a rating as your system fan and filter slot can accommodate”. A Trane article says: “Most experts recommend a MERV rating between 8-13 for residential systems”. For an upgrade, the EPA names a floor: MERV 13.

Sources: EPA, What is a MERV rating?; Trane, 8 HVAC Air Filter Myths Debunked.

The MERV options each cabinet maker lists

MERV options by cabinet maker
Cabinet or slotFilters and MERV, as the maker lists them
AprilAire 2200 and 2250 (6 in)201, MERV 10; for the 2200 with Upgrade Kit 1213, the 210 (MERV 11) or 213 (MERV 13)
AprilAire 2400 (6 in)401, MERV 10; with Upgrade Kit 1413, the 410 (MERV 11) or 413 (MERV 13)
AprilAire 2210, 1210, 1620, 2216, 3210, 4200210, MERV 11; 213, MERV 13; the 2210 page also lists the 216, MERV 16
AprilAire 2410, 1410, 1610, 2416, 3410, 4400410, MERV 11; 413, MERV 13; AprilAire's FAQ names the 416, MERV 16
Honeywell Home media air cleanersFC100, MERV 11 (Resideo lists it for the F25, F27, F35, F100, F150 and F200); FC200, MERV 13
Lennox Healthy Climate HCC16-28 and HCC20-28X6670 and X6673, MERV 11; 19L16 and 19L17, MERV 13; X6672 and X6675, MERV 16
Standard 1 in slotsFilterbuy sells MERV 8, 11 and 13; Glasfloss rates its ZL at MERV 10

Sources: AprilAire 201 filter page; AprilAire 401 filter page; AprilAire 210 filter page; AprilAire 410 filter page; AprilAire 213 filter page; AprilAire 413 filter page; AprilAire, Air Purifiers and Air Filters FAQs; AprilAire 2210 product page; Resideo, Honeywell Home Filter Replacement Guide 50-1312 (PDF); Resideo, FC100A1037 filter page; Lennox, Healthy Climate media air cleaners bulletin (PDF); Filterbuy, Air filter subscription; Glasfloss Z-Line ZL product bulletin (PDF).

Thicker filters last longer

AprilAire's FAQ says its filters are typically replaced every 6–12 months. It puts traditional 1 in filters at every 1–3 months. AprilAire's product pages for the 201 and 401 list 12–24 months. Life by filter: AprilAire filters by model.

Sources: AprilAire, Air Purifiers and Air Filters FAQs; AprilAire 201 filter page; AprilAire 401 filter page.

MERV means the same across brands

MERV comes from one test method, ASHRAE 52.2. A MERV 13 filter meets the same minimums whichever maker made it. Compare filters by MERV, size and the life the maker lists.

Sources: EPA, What is a MERV rating?; NAFA, Understanding ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2 (PDF).

More on ratings: MERV rating chart, MERV 8 vs 11 vs 13, MERV 13 filters, AprilAire filters by model.

Sources

  1. EPA, What is a MERV rating? (page updated 2026-01-14): https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-merv-rating, accessed 2026-10-28
  2. Trane, 8 HVAC Air Filter Myths Debunked (published 2024-07-16, updated 2026-01-15): https://www.trane.com/residential/en/resources/blog/hvac-air-filter-myths/, accessed 2026-10-28
  3. AprilAire filter pages for the 201, 401, 210 and 410 (undated): https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-201-replacement-filter, https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-401-replacement-filter, https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-210-replacement-filter, https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-410-replacement-filter, accessed 2026-10-28
  4. AprilAire filter pages for the 213 and 413 (undated): https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-213-replacement-filter, https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-413-replacement-filter, accessed 2026-10-27
  5. AprilAire, Air Purifiers and Air Filters FAQs (updated 2026-03-13): https://www.aprilaire.com/blog/aprilaire-air-purifiers-and-air-filters-faqs, accessed 2026-10-28
  6. AprilAire, Model 2210 Air Purifier (undated page): https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-model-2210-air-purifier, accessed 2026-10-27
  7. Resideo, Honeywell Home Filter Replacement Guide, form 50-1312 (08/20, PDF): https://customer.resideo.com/resources/Techlit/TechLitDocuments/50-0000s/50-1312.pdf, accessed 2026-10-28
  8. Resideo, FC100A1037 MERV 11 replacement media filter (undated page): https://www.resideo.com/us/en/pro/products/air/air-quality-solutions/filtration/air-cleaner-filters/20-in-x-25-in-merv-11-replacement-media-filter-fc100a1037-u/, accessed 2026-10-28
  9. Lennox, Healthy Climate HCC media air cleaners bulletin, form 210450 (August 2025, PDF): https://www.lennox.com/dA/a1d2030a9b/ehb_hcc_2508.pdf, accessed 2026-10-28
  10. Filterbuy, Air filter subscription (updated September 24, 2026): https://filterbuy.com/air-filter-subscription/, accessed 2026-10-28
  11. Glasfloss Z-Line ZL product bulletin 6ZLINEZL (PDF, dated 3/10/26), “ZL Standard Size Filters” table: https://www.glasfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/06baBro0326ZL.pdf, accessed 2026-10-27
  12. NAFA, Understanding ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2 (January 2026, PDF), Tables 2 and 3: https://www.nafahq.org/assets/pdf/522BrochureJanuary2026/, accessed 2026-10-28