Powermatic Air Cleaner (Filter Replacement)

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zig613

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I need to replace the outer filter (12 x 24) on my Powermatic 1200 air cleaner. Does anyone know what the MERV rating is for this filter? This spec. isn't listed in the manual, on the filter or on the manufacturers website.

Thanks,

Wade
 
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https://bispowermatic.com/accessories/dust-collection-filtration-accessories.html

Height : 13 (in)
Inner Filter (microns) : 85% of 1 micron particles
Length : 33 (in)
Motor Amps : 3.5
Motor HP : 1/4 HP
Motor Phase : 1 PH
Motor Voltage : 115V
Net Weight : 90 pound
Outer Filter (microns) : 99% of 5 micron particles
Overall Dimensions : 33 x 25 x 13
Part Number : 1791330
Speeds (CFM) : 547, 706, 1196
Timer Settings (hours) : 1 to 9 hours
Width : 25 (in)
 
Thanks John,

I did see this on the Powermatic website however, what I am trying to determine is what MERV rating equals their specs. (Outer Filter (microns) : 99% of 5 micron particles)? Some reference tables have the MERV rating to filter out this partial size varing from MERV 6 to MERV 10+, depending on the efficiency.

Wade
 
Wade on those and all dust collectors that first filter is not the important one. Get a standard air conditioner filter if you do not want to buy the replacement one. Have to say never heard of Merv rating. had to look that one up. No filter I know is rated by a Merv. Use to watch Merv Griffin though. :p
 
John,

No I am not referring to Merv Griffin... I guess if we both know who he is we have been around for awhile :). MERV ratings for air cleaner filters (e.g., filters for your furnace) is common here in Canada, at least in my local area.

"The acronym MERV stands for "Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value." MERV ratings are used to rate the ability of an air cleaner filter to remove dust from the air as it passes through the filter. MERV is a standard used to measure the overall efficiency of a filter. The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 16, and measures a filter's ability to remove particles from .30 to 10 microns in size. To give you an idea of the scale of a micron, 100 microns is about the thickness of a piece of paper or a human hair. Filters with higher ratings not only remove more particles from the air, they also remove smaller particles." Here is a table of the MERV ratings from a filter company http://www.mechreps.com/PDF/Merv_Rating_Chart.pdf. The Powermatic filters are not available locally so I will try a MERV 8 filter and see how it works.

Wade
 
zig613 said:
John,

No I am not referring to Merv Griffin... I guess if we both know who he is we have been around for awhile :). MERV ratings for air cleaner filters (e.g., filters for your furnace) is common here in Canada, at least in my local area.

"The acronym MERV stands for "Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value." MERV ratings are used to rate the ability of an air cleaner filter to remove dust from the air as it passes through the filter. MERV is a standard used to measure the overall efficiency of a filter. The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 16, and measures a filter's ability to remove particles from .30 to 10 microns in size. To give you an idea of the scale of a micron, 100 microns is about the thickness of a piece of paper or a human hair. Filters with higher ratings not only remove more particles from the air, they also remove smaller particles." Here is a table of the MERV ratings from a filter company http://www.mechreps.com/PDF/Merv_Rating_Chart.pdf. The Powermatic filters are not available locally so I will try a MERV 8 filter and see how it works.

Wade
Click to expand...
well good luck with this I reported what I knew. As I said microns is how we measure filters.
 
You may want to verify what MERV rating the size of filter you need is available in. That could limit your choices pretty quickly. As a roughing filter, I would think it could be pretty low or a generic unrated filter. If you install too high of a MERV rated filter in the first stage, it is also going to lose capacity (but increase in efficiency) pretty quickly. The next filter stage, which I presume are the bag type filters, are the ones intended to actually capture more, smaller particles while maintaining capacity.


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MRDucks2 said:
You may want to verify what MERV rating the size of filter you need is available in. That could limit your choices pretty quickly. As a roughing filter, I would think it could be pretty low or a generic unrated filter. If you install too high of a MERV rated filter in the first stage, it is also going to lose capacity (but increase in efficiency) pretty quickly. The next filter stage, which I presume are the bag type filters, are the ones intended to actually capture more, smaller particles while maintaining capacity.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
Click to expand...
Thanks,

Generic filters are available ranging from 2-14 MERV locally. The challenge is to find one that won't restrict the air flow too much that may impede the efficiency of the cleaner and potentially over work the motor. I e-mailed Powermatic yesterday inquiring about the outer filter MERV rating however, they simply sent me the part number for their product which is described as being able to filter 99% of 5 micron particles. I was hoping that perhaps someone here had purchased a generic filter for thier Powermatic with a known MERV rating that I could use.

Wade
 
I use standard a/c filters but I go one step further by using a second filter I attach with Velcro strips. Doing this give me an addiitonal filtering layer. I don't See any effect on the air filter unit itself.
 
I think you are too hung up on Merv ratings and overthinking this. If they can not supply a Merv rating tells you we do not rate filters that way here in the states. If you find a micron rated filter which they call for will be acceptable in a Merv rating whatever it is. As good as a dust collector is it will not and no system out there will ever be able to catch all dust particles in a working shop. Thus a good dust mask helps. I still like Merv's game shows.
 
In agreeing with John, and clarifying my point, which also seems to be your concern: MERV of a roughing filter is not critical so keep it low. In the US somewhere around a 10 is typical for contractor/OEM installed filters in an HVAC system so I would consider that the highest rating I would use in dust collection. If 2 is your bottom, I would pick something between a MERV 2 and 10, maybe a 4 or 6 and give it a shot. That size should not be expensive, may be an improvement over the OEM and not load up the blower. If you find you have to change it more frequently than desired or you feel the blow is changing sound from load over time, get a 2 next time. The inner filter is the workhorse of the system. The outer filter is to keep the 2x4's out. :)
 
John MERV rated filters are made and sold in the US. Oneida and Clear Vue both have MERV 15 or 16 filters on their cyclones. Wynn can give MERV ratings for most of the filters they provide for all applications. Furnace manufacturers market their furnaces and air handling stuff with MERV ratings. Search Amazon for "furnace filters merv" and you will find lots. MERV is a rating system that defines what micron size and amounts they will trap. It lets you compare apples to apples rather than letting marketers snow you with claims that sound good but really hide the truth. A seller can claim their DC filters .5 micron but you have no way of knowing if that is 99.999% of .5 micron particles and larger or if it is 20% of .5 micron particles. Both are correct when it comes to woodworking DC's and shop filter marketing. MERV 16 levels are close to HEPA filters.

Wade you're going to have to take a wag and pick a lower MERV rated filter as the first stage of that filter is meant to grab what you can see and a little of what you cannot. 10 micron is the limit of what is visible even in strong light. The second stage is supposed to get the smaller stuff but 85% of 1 micron is still letting too much through. You should wear a cartridge mask until you can get a particle counter to verify the air is okay to breathe. They can be had for a hundred or so.
 
Thanks for the information everyone. I have already used compressed air to clean the filter several times. It is simply time to replace it. When working in the shop the air cleaner in on, the dusk collector is on, and I also use a mask. I was taught that wood dust is a killer on your lungs! As noted previously, I think I will give a MERV 8 filler a try. They are inexpensive and readily available.

Wade
 
Curly said:
John MERV rated filters are made and sold in the US. Oneida and Clear Vue both have MERV 15 or 16 filters on their cyclones. Wynn can give MERV ratings for most of the filters they provide for all applications. Furnace manufacturers market their furnaces and air handling stuff with MERV ratings. Search Amazon for "furnace filters merv" and you will find lots. MERV is a rating system that defines what micron size and amounts they will trap. It lets you compare apples to apples rather than letting marketers snow you with claims that sound good but really hide the truth. A seller can claim their DC filters .5 micron but you have no way of knowing if that is 99.999% of .5 micron particles and larger or if it is 20% of .5 micron particles. Both are correct when it comes to woodworking DC's and shop filter marketing. MERV 16 levels are close to HEPA filters.

Wade you're going to have to take a wag and pick a lower MERV rated filter as the first stage of that filter is meant to grab what you can see and a little of what you cannot. 10 micron is the limit of what is visible even in strong light. The second stage is supposed to get the smaller stuff but 85% of 1 micron is still letting too much through. You should wear a cartridge mask until you can get a particle counter to verify the air is okay to breathe. They can be had for a hundred or so.
Click to expand...
Pete if you know so much about this then help him. I will never ever ever look for a filter with a merv rating. It means nothing to me. Absolutely nothing but micron amount does tell me something. All my years on earth never heard of Merv as a measurement. Have been woodworking for over 40 years. Glad you can help him. My dust collector the first filter is a solid filter that just needs blowing out. The secondary filter I order a new one when it starts to get clogged. Agai the Merv I know is dead.
 
Wade put up the link to a MERV chart and has picked a MERV *8 which approximates or betters the Powermatic pre-filter he wants to replace. If anything it will load up a little faster than the OEM part and he will need to blow it out or replace it a little more often. He doesn't need my help this time unless he wants to find an inexpensive particle counter.

For what it is worth the furnace installed in my new house came with a MERV 10, 4" thick filter. I replaced it with a MERV 12 for better particle removal. :) Almost all of us want a little bit better, whether it is a sharper skew, shinier finish, more horsepower in the car or as in this case better filter. The MERV 10 is loads better than the racks full at the Borg store of 1" thick filters that say very fine, best filter grade, super fine or some other Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious packaging terms they sell, that you can almost see a cellphone through. If you look among those racks you would find some do have a MERV rating on them. :eek: You don't have to look at them or relate to them when you shop but here, if you want to learn, is a very basic chart that does show the correlation of micron and MERV. https://www.coolray.com/img/uploads/What_does_MERV_Rating_mean.pdf

As a loose comparison if your Merv were still on the tube interviewing you, what an honour, and he asked "What sandpaper you use?" Then your answer was "Coarse, medium and fine." His next question to you would be "What grits are those?" ;)

No disrespect to you, I just thought you liked to learn things.
 
Curly said:
Wade put up the link to a MERV chart and has picked a MERV *8 which approximates or betters the Powermatic pre-filter he wants to replace. If anything it will load up a little faster than the OEM part and he will need to blow it out or replace it a little more often. He doesn't need my help this time unless he wants to find an inexpensive particle counter.

For what it is worth the furnace installed in my new house came with a MERV 10, 4" thick filter. I replaced it with a MERV 12 for better particle removal. :) Almost all of us want a little bit better, whether it is a sharper skew, shinier finish, more horsepower in the car or as in this case better filter. The MERV 10 is loads better than the racks full at the Borg store of 1" thick filters that say very fine, best filter grade, super fine or some other Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious packaging terms they sell, that you can almost see a cellphone through. If you look among those racks you would find some do have a MERV rating on them. :eek: You don't have to look at them or relate to them when you shop but here, if you want to learn, is a very basic chart that does show the correlation of micron and MERV. https://www.coolray.com/img/uploads/What_does_MERV_Rating_mean.pdf

As a loose comparison if your Merv were still on the tube interviewing you, what an honour, and he asked "What sandpaper you use?" Then your answer was "Coarse, medium and fine." His next question to you would be "What grits are those?" ;)

No disrespect to you, I just thought you liked to learn things.
Click to expand...


Too old to learn new things. I will only forget them tomorrow. :) I am sure this may help others and maybe we can get put in the library.
 
Update...

FYI... I had further discussions with one of Powermatic technicians and they have advised me the following...

"The MERV for Canister filter ( DC-C ) is about : 13. The MERV for Air Filtration system is about 12 ( outside filter ) and 11 ( inside filter ) respectively. The rating is derived from a test method developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), please find the enclosure 1( standard 52.2 ), this standard measures filter efficiency by how well the filter captures specific size." I questioned about the outer filter having a higher rating (MERV 12) vs. the inner filter however, they responded... " I had them look at the testing results and was advised they did not disagree with the results done by an independent testing company."

I have attached the e-mail with details how the calculations were completed by their independent engineers.

Wade
 

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