In most cases, a Merv 11 air filter is not too tall for residential use. Generally speaking, anything under a Merv 13 air filter should provide very efficient air purification in a house without affecting airflow. The short answer is that it can, but it's not really a problem except in extreme circumstances. Most modern HVAC systems have no problem working with higher Merv filters, so millions of homeowners rely on them. The main risk of high-efficiency air filters comes from the fact that they are not modified for long periods of time.
If you're aware of changing your filters regularly, you won't experience any issues with your HVAC system. Using an oven filter with a higher Merv rating than your use case requires may have adverse effects. The thickness of the filter material in a Merv 11 filter, for example, is greater than that of a Merv 8 filter. Therefore, in order for enough air to pass through the filter, a greater amount of energy is consumed. More use can lead to increased wear and tear, so be sure to maintain your oven regularly.
However, Merv 11 filters are not considered too high for residential use. Anything higher than a Merv 11 is designed for commercial households or households with family members suffering from respiratory problems. If your furnace's Merv rating is too high, it may force it to work too hard and leave it vulnerable to damage. In addition, you may not get the air velocity needed to reach all parts of your house, leaving inconsistencies in temperature. Typically, a filter with a higher Merv rating will reduce airflow.
However, there are many other factors at play, such as the size of the filter and the type of fan motor of the HVAC system. I just watched an FB video from AI I just saw an FB video of a British doctor who says that vacuum bags are NOT safe for masks, since they contain fiberglass, which is very bad for breathing (and worse when the bags have been cut to make inserts) YES, however, the Merv air filters are, as I am reading, made of polyester and cotton, should be safe. Using a Merv 13 rated filter is best for protecting against virus-spreading bacteria, but adding air quality solutions to your home should also be considered. If your family has allergic reactions or respiratory problems and you want a powerful Merv air filter, look for a home air filtration solution that can meet your needs and filter desires. This means that things like pet dander, smoke, and some bacteria in the air are likely to pass through a Merv 8 filter. The Merv 16 would be the best as it will filter out 95%.
There is a YouTube video showing how to make your own N95 with a Merv 16 filter. The higher the Merv rating, the more restrictive the airflow through the device will be which will make the equipment work harder. For residential use, the standard recommendation is to choose a furnace filter with a Merv rating between 7 and 13. The Merv rating of the air filter indicates whether the filter will capture particulates at a rate between 84.9% and 90%. Lastly, I say that there is no price for peace of mind, and if they feel that a high merv filter would provide that they should do so with the warning that they should replace dirty filters often enough & that may be a week or two depending on the Merv rating, effective filter area and quantity of particles that enter your home. I have three Merv-13 filters in my house and the pressure drop in all of them is less than 0.06 i. The cost is about four times more than the spun glass fiber filters of Merv 1-4 but they have much better contaminant removal capacity.
Also if I tried this modification of the Merv13 filter myself I would make many filter discs and change them after each exposure to several people. When you have a filter from Merv 13 and above it is more similar to the material you would find in an N95 dust mask.
