What is MERV? How do you choose the right MERV rating for your home or facility, and is it important?
You buy air filters whether you own a home or manage a business. You do this because indoor air quality is essential, and every HVAC system requires you to change the filters regularly. Your air quality and circulation efficiency depend on clear, clean, unclogged air filters as part of the system.
If you go to the store or search for air filters online, you’ll need to know your unit’s filter size and your desired MERV rating. The filter size you get is based on your unit specs. But what is MERV? How do you choose the right MERV rating for your home or facility, and is it important?
Speedy response and service. Knowledgeable professional. Kind, courteous, friendly but professional.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the great review! We appreciate your business and look forward to working with you in the future.
Super Helpful and Honest Service
I called this company earlier today because I was having a bunch of issues with my HVAC system. They were incredibly friendly and walked me through troubleshooting step by step over the phone. They didn’t even charge me for the call. Thanks to their honest advice, I was able to get things running smoothly again. Really grateful for their help and would definitely recommend them if you want straightforward and trustworthy service. Five stars all the way!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the glowing review, Hector! We appreciate your business and look forward to working with you in the future.
Giovanni the service technician was the best! Very knowledgeable, efficient and did a professional job replacing my hot water heater. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of plumbing/ HVAC work first rate customer service at a very competitive price!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Mr, for your fantastic review! We're glad to hear Giovanni provided you with excellent service and professionalism. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Nick did not set current time. — Monday Hoffmans Zach came to fix correct time. We DID NOT want a timed thermostat — we prefer to set temperatures manually
Response from the owner:Thank you, Pat, for your kind words about Giovanni; we appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that he made a positive impression.
Clear communication about arrival, service and costs.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Margaret, for your kind words! We appreciate your feedback on our clear communication and are glad you had a positive experience.
Excellent experience.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Laura, for your 5-star review! We appreciate your support.
Fast, friendly, professional service.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Hank, for your wonderful feedback; we're glad you enjoyed the fast, friendly, and professional service, and we'll be sure to keep up the great work!
I will highly recommend this business for your air and heater repair. Prompt, knowledgeable and courteous service.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Judy, for your kind words and recommendation! We're glad to hear you were pleased with our prompt and courteous service.
Thomas Hoffman was very responsive to our after hours inquiry, even walked us through some trouble shooting over the phone. We provided pictures of the unit and they were able to quickly buy, schedule and install the part to keep our family warm!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Ali! We're glad to hear that Thomas was responsive and helpful in getting everything sorted out for you and your family. Your feedback means a lot to us!
Nick came by, identified the problem quickly and had it fixed. Great service!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Ted! We're glad to hear that Nick provided you with quick and effective service. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Zach was very professional and thorough. He was nice and did a great job!
Response from the owner:We are happy to hear you had a great experience with our company. Thank you for your kind words, Mike!
Great service. Responsive. Well trained technicians. Honest friendly and thorough. I highly recommend Tom Hoffmann and his team.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We appreciate your recommendation and are delighted to hear about your positive experience with our team.
Ryan Taylor with Thomas Hoffman did an outstanding job in servicing our unit & explaining everything to me, especially how our humidifier worked, since we were new home owners & had not had one before. Thank you!
Response from the owner:Thank you! We're glad to hear that Ryan and Thomas provided you with excellent service and helped you understand your new humidifier. We appreciate your feedback!
Polite and very efficient.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the 4-star rating, Debra!
Great service and arrived on time when promised.
Response from the owner:Thank you Wray, for your kind words! We're glad to hear you had a great experience and that everything was on time.
Ryan was knowledgeable and figured out why our furnace wasn’t working and repaired the problem
Response from the owner:So happy to hear you had a good experience with the team here at Thomas Hoffmann, Jo! Thank you for your support.
Service was great on time very efficient explained what he was doing changed filter disposed of old filter ! Nice young man 👍
Response from the owner:Thank you, marianne, for your fantastic 5-star rating; we appreciate your support!
Wonderful work. Great communication and always a happy positive technician. Answered all of my questions with sincerity and patience.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words, Bob. We truly appreciate your business!
As always, the Hoffmann technician Zach was polite, professional, and efficient. Pricing is reasonable and even more importantly, they are dependable. I will continue to use Thomas Hoffman A/C and Heating.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Mark, for your kind words about our technician and for your continued trust in Thomas Hoffman A/C and Heating; we truly appreciate your support!
Hoffman is great! Very professional and thorough.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Brandon! We appreciate your kind words and are glad to hear about your positive experience with Hoffmann’s professionalism and thoroughness.
Giovanni was great today! Thanks for everything.
Response from the owner:Thank you, James! We're glad you had a great experience, and we'll be sure to pass along your kind words to Giovanni.
The technician is always on time and very thorough.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Catherine, for your kind words about our technician's punctuality and thoroughness; we appreciate your feedback!
Our service technician arrived right on time and was professional, friendly, efficient and courteous. We couldn’t ask for more.
Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your positive experience with our service technician! We appreciate your kind words and are glad to hear that you were satisfied with the service provided.
Ryan was here on time. Thanks for getting here early, as I requested. Very friendly too. It was my annual checkup and all good!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the great review, Kay. We truly appreciate your business!
I'm a new customer and had my first appointment for furnace check.My tech was Zack and what a professional. He explained how he checked system and answered all my questions. This was a very good experience
Response from the owner:Thank you, Patricia, for your kind words! We're glad to hear that Zack provided you with a professional and informative experience during your furnace check. Your satisfaction means a lot to us!
Thomas Hoffman is a wonderful company to work with. Techs are knowledgeable, personable & efficient.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Christine, for your kind words about our team; we appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear you had a positive experience!
I called on December 25th at midnight and started leaving a message and Thomas Hoffman the owner called me back almost immediately. He said he would come out the next morning between 8:00 and 10:00 am snd he was promptly on time. He fixed my problem and while he was there I decided to get an estimate for a new furnace and air conditioning unit. The price was very reasonable and the installers one of them being his son were both very professional very courteous, polite, arrived on time and finished the same day. I enjoy knowing that I now have the support of Thomas Hoffman heating and air conditioning along with the peace of mind that comes with owning a Trane. Nothing stops a Trane.
Albert Koesterer
Response from the owner:Albert thanks so much for your kind reviews and your business. We truly appreciate it!!!
The Thomas Hoffmann team did a great job taking care of our semi annual HVAC maintenance. They not only worked with us to schedule the visit, but also did an excellent job sending us reminders on when they would be out.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the great review, Bob! We appreciate your support and are happy to hear you had a great experience!
Nick was excellent. Super profession, quick, and up front with the pricing (which was fair). Hopefully we don't need to call anyone to fix our AC again, but if we do - I'm calling Nick!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Layton, for your amazing review! We really appreciate your support and hope to be your first call for any future repairs!
Same day service. Technician arrived as scheduled. Replaced capacitor quickly. Friendly technician. Repair cost $429 seemed high for inexpensive part and 20 minutes labor.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Tom, for your feedback! We're glad to hear the technician was prompt and friendly, though we understand your concerns about the repair cost. We appreciate your insights and hope to serve you again in the future.
Excellent.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much, Al, for your excellent review; we truly appreciate your support and are glad to hear you had a great experience!
Thank u
Response from the owner:Thank you, Connie, we appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear from you!
Courteous friendly and efficient! What else could you want!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Bob! We're glad you found our service courteous, friendly, and efficient – that's exactly what we strive for!
Thomas Hoffmann is the most professional and courteous of all the HVAC companies in St. Louis. It has kept my HVAC systems in good working order through the hottest and coldest days for many years.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Jonathan, for your kind words about our professionalism and courtesy; we truly appreciate your support!
Quick response time and great to deal with!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Pat! We appreciate your kind words and are glad to hear you had a positive experience with our team.
I notified two companies at the same time regarding a malfunctioning AC unit and Wow! Super fast response from Hoffmann on a weekend no less, to fix our AC unit. Hoffmann’s tech responded to my call immediately and fixed our AC before Galmiche has even responded. Used to be a Galmiche customer, but will use Thomas Hoffmann from here on out!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Darlene, for your fantastic feedback! We're glad to hear that our team was able to respond quickly and resolve your AC issue. We appreciate your trust in us moving forward!
Ryan did a great job with my AC reinstall. Very knowledgeable company with Tom Hoffmann providing the engineering expertise.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Steve! We're glad to hear that Ryan did a great job on your AC reinstall, and we appreciate the shoutout to Tom's expertise. Your satisfaction means a lot to us!
These guy's are amazing same day service very well priced for the knowledge they have ask before doing anything to confirm they're my new go to
Response from the owner:Thank you, Cory! We're glad you found our service amazing and appreciate your kind words about our pricing and knowledge. We're here for you anytime!
They came very fast to fix our AC and service was very good
Response from the owner:Thank you, Maria, for your kind words about our service; we're glad to hear you had a great experience!
My ac compressor was replaced. They always do a good job and they are always available when you need them.I think the price was a little too high since they only had to change the compressor in my unit. The compressor was under the warranty. Other than that Im very satisfied with the job the technician did.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Carlos, for your feedback and for recognizing the hard work of our technician; we appreciate your satisfaction with the job done and will take your pricing comments into consideration.
I was very pleased with your service. Prompt response would was most appreciated. The technician was very knowledgeable and prepared for the work. Also he was very personable and professional.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Richard, for your kind words; we appreciate your recognition of our technician's knowledge and professionalism, and we're glad you had a positive experience with our service.
Nick zeroed right in on the problem with a slight leak and quickly provided a solution.
Response from the owner:Thanks, George, for your kind words! We're glad Nick could quickly address the issue for you.
What Is MERV?
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values. This rating measures how well a filter stops and contains airborne particles between 0.3 and 10 microns large. This includes dust, pollen, mites, and mold spores.
MERV ratings range from 1-20. A lower MERV rating only stops large particles of dust and pollen. A higher MERV rating contains all particles down to a much smaller size and will improve your indoor air quality without making your energy costs rise significantly.
MERV Rating Chart
MERV Rating
- MERV 1 – 4
- MERV 5
- MERV 6
- MERV 7
Average Particle Size Efficiency in Microns
3.0-10.0 microns at 20% efficiency
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 20%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 35%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 50%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 20%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 70%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 35%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 75%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 50%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 80%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 20%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 65%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 85%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 35%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 80%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 90%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 50%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 85%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 90%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 75%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 90%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 95%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 85%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 90%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 95%
0.30-1.0 less than or equal to 95%
1.0-3.0 less than or equal to 95%
3.0-10.0 less than or equal to 95%
The most efficient air filter is called a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. This air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns.
Contact Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning and Heating
Whether you’re a business manager or a homeowner, Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning and Heating can help you determine what type of filter is right for your needs. With more than 30 years of experience and a master technician and mechanical engineer as our owner, we can replace, repair, and provide maintenance for your business or home’s HVAC system.
24/7 Service Call Now
At Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating, we pride ourselves on being a locally owned and operated HVAC company. With more than 30 years of experience and a master technician and mechanical engineer as our owner, we can replace, repair, and maintain your business or home’s HVAC system.
