MERV 8 Filter Produces Immediate,
Substantial Cost Savings for
Health Care Facilities

Background:

Hospitals face two formidable – and opposing – challenges when
buying air filters.   First, the control of airborne pathogens is a
serious concern for every health care institution.  This concern
has been heightened by recent widespread publicity regarding
nosocomial infections, and the identification of various
drug-resistant “super bugs:” MRSA, XTB, etc. 

The opposing challenge is budgets that are under increasing
pressure to reduce costs in all areas, including product costs,
labor costs and inventory costs.

Hospitals who want to control airborne pathogens, and arrest
non-pathogenic particulate, have numerous options, depending
on the application. Some areas demand HEPA or ULPA filtration;
most are adequately served by less costly filters. 

Camfil-Farr, a world-leading manufacturer of air filtration products for
research, health care and bio-pharma manufacturing, has introduced
the first true MERV 8*(ASHRAE 52.2-2007) “30/30” air filter.

The 30/30® is a medium efficiency pleated panel filter that is typically
used in medical facilities as the first level of containment protection
and to increase the life of final filters used for patient rooms,
operating suites, isolation rooms and other critical care areas.
The 30/30 can significantly increase the life of downstream
final or HEPA filters. 

The 30/30 MERV 8 was designed to reduce energy costs for medical
facilities or other applications with very high rates of air changeover. 
With a very low initial resistance to airflow, its proprietary media
also maintains the lowest average pressure drop of any pleated
panel filter.  This translates immediately into energy savings that
are both measurable, and significant – typically 25% and higher.

The MERV 8 30/30 filter is distinctive in having earned five stars
on the ECI (Energy Cost Index+) – the best-possible performance
ranking.  It was created to have the lowest life cycle cost of any
medium efficiency filtration. 

The Camfil Farr 30/30, with its distinctive radial pleat design
provides full use of the media for maximum dirt holding capacity. 
Tests show the 30/30 has 30% higher dust holding capacity
than conventional MERV 8 filters.  This means a longer service life,
and less-frequent change-outs.  

The media for the 30/30 filter is “all-mechanical,” rather than
electrostatic, and maintains consistent, high removal efficiency
throughout the filter’s life.  In contrast, other MERV 8s marketed
within the health care field are made with electrostatically charged
media, whose efficiency drops as dust loads.  (Buyers of electrostatic
media filters are advised to obtain the “discharged MERV” rating
to determine the actual performance level of the product,
in order to make valid comparisons.)

The Camfil Farr Performance Guarantee Program guarantees
that the 30/30 will maintain its efficiency over time, and last
longer than any pleated panel filter. The radial media pleats
on the 30/30 are secured by a welded wire grid, spot-welded on
one-inch centers. The grid is treated for corrosion protection and is
bonded to the media to prevent oscillation. 

It also has high structural integrity. A high wet strength beverage
board frame creates a stable, non-yielding media pack. The media
pack is bonded to the frame and diagonal support members are
bonded to each pleat to enhance rigidity through bridge-style
engineering.  Filter bypass is virtually eliminated. The MERV 8
30/30 is guaranteed to 2.0” w.g. without media pack failure.  
It is well-suited to laboratories and other areas where higher
filter face velocities are common. 

The MERV 8 30/30 is available with an Underwriters Laboratories
rating for flammability of Class 1 or Class 2. It is available in 1",
2” and 4” configurations.  Its combination of performance,
energy savings and applications flexibility makes it ideal for
hospital buying groups seeking to reduce the number of products,
and vendors.  The filter can be a valuable tool for complying with
AIA, CDC, and  CSA/ CCDR guidelines for infection control.

The Camfil Farr 30/30 may be used to meet requirements of the
U.S. Green Building Council (“LEED”) in terms of efficiency,
energy savings and reduced disposal impact.

* MERV, Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a number from 1 to 16 that is relative
to an air filter’s efficiency, according to a universal filtration standard.  The higher the
MERV, the more efficient the air filter is at removing particles. .