What Kind of Filter Should You Use in a Ventilation Unit to Protect Your Family? Safety & Health Explained
🔎 Not all ventilation filters are the same
Some filters keep your home’s air clean and healthy, while others may pose risks to both the ventilation unit and your well-being. ⚠️ In recent years, more low-cost filters from third countries have appeared on the market — products where the focus is price, not quality.
❗ In this guide, we explain what you should look for when choosing ventilation filters (including MVHR filters), so you can be sure they are safe, certified and suitable for long-term use.
⚙️ 1. Certification and Testing: What Actually Proves a Filter Is Safe?
ISO 16890 – the only valid filtration standard for ventilation filters in the EU
According to ISO 16890, every high-quality ventilation filter must be tested in a laboratory. The testing includes:
• filtration efficiency for different particle sizes (ePM10, ePM2.5, ePM1)
• pressure drop (ΔP)
• behaviour and stability of the filter media under real operating conditions
• frame tightness, which is critically important – a leaking frame can bypass up to 30% of the air
⚠️ Why do many cheap filters not provide real data?
• ISO 16890 is not a standard used in China or the US, so many third-country manufacturers simply ignore it
• Certification and testing are costly, so responsibility is often shifted to the buyer
• Many provide only assumed data based on the material, not on actual testing
• A declared class (“ePM1 55%”) without lab tests is worthless
• Poor frame sealing means the declared class is technically impossible to achieve
🧪 Practical Example
Independent tests have shown cases where a filter advertised as “F7 (ePM1)” actually performed at only ePM10 75%.
Result:
• pollutants settle on the heat exchanger and fans
• fine particles pass into the indoor air
• pressure drop looks “good” only because the filter is not capturing anything
❗ Simply put
If a filter is not tested according to ISO 16890, no one can guarantee what it actually captures — or how it may affect your health.
| ISO 16890 Class | What It Captures | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|
| ePM10 | pollen, coarse dust | rural areas, countryside |
| ePM2.5 | fine particles, combustion pollutants | towns and cities |
| ePM1 | ultrafine particles, soot, smoke | high-traffic areas, solid-fuel heating environments |
🧴 2. VDI 6022 Hygiene Standard: What Does It Really Mean?
VDI 6022 is a hygiene standard that regulates:
• microbiological safety (no bacteria or mould should be able to grow on the filter)
• material stability (the filter must not shed fibres or disintegrate)
• absence of odours and VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• the use of safe binders and adhesives
⚠️ The Issue in the Market
The phrase “complies with VDI 6022” is often used without any real proof. If a manufacturer does not provide:
• a certificate,
• a test report,
• a material hygiene declaration,
then the claim is simply marketing — not actual compliance.
❗ VDI 6022 in simple terms
VDI 6022 means one thing: no microbes should be able to grow on the filter. If the manufacturer cannot provide a certificate or documentation, it means no one has actually verified whether the filter is hygienic. Trusting such a filter is a risk.
🧪 3. Material Safety: Fiberglass and PFAS Risks
Fiberglass
Some low-cost filters (especially those of unclear origin) are still made using fiberglass. This can be dangerous:
• microscopic fibres may enter the air,
• they can irritate the respiratory system,
• they are not suitable for residential buildings.
Modern ISO 16890 synthetic filters do not carry these risks.
✔️ CleanFilter filters are produced using Sandler AG media, tested and manufactured according to strict EU safety and hygiene standards.
⚠️ PFAS – the “forever chemicals”
Filter media of unclear origin may sometimes contain PFAS compounds, which pose health risks:
• they accumulate in the body,
• are considered potentially carcinogenic,
• are restricted or banned in many countries.
✔️ High-quality filters provide clear material composition and compliance documentation confirming that no PFAS are used in production.
❗ REACH Non-Compliance: Facts, Not Assumptions
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has found that around 23% of products imported into the EU do not comply with REACH/CLP requirements.
Analysis also shows that more than 90% of all non-compliant products originate from non-EU/EEA countries.
⚠️ This is why a REACH self-declaration is not a guarantee — it does not test every batch, and the responsibility is shifted to the importer.
❗ Material Safety in Simple Terms
If a filter is made from unknown or unverified materials, it may contain fiberglass or PFAS — particles you definitely don’t want to breathe. Safe filters always provide clear information about the material source and proper certification.
🔧 4. Service Life and Real Performance: How to Spot Quality vs. Imitation?
A quality filter = higher dust-holding capacity + stable efficiency
Cheap filters often have:
• low dust-holding capacity,
• 1–2 layer construction,
• rapidly increasing pressure drop.
✔️ The CleanFilter Advantage
CleanFilter F7 filters are made from 3-layer German filter media, which means they:
• maintain stable airflow,
• capture more dust,
• do not absorb moisture,
• last 20–40% longer.
⚠️ Why the declared ePM1 class is often “an illusion”
Many cheaper filters achieve ePM1 classification only because of an electrostatic charge.
Once the charge dissipates:
• efficiency drops to Coarse level,
• fine particles pass through easily,
• the user never notices it, but indoor air quality becomes much worse.
❗ Service Life & Performance in Simple Terms
A real ePM1 filter has a higher pressure drop — because it actually filters. Cheap filters do the opposite: they label themselves “ePM1”, but in reality capture almost nothing, which is why they seem to “last longer”. Why? Because the dust simply passes straight through.
<🌱 5. Sustainability: Local Production and Responsible Materials
Why are third-country filters the most polluting?
• long transport distances = high CO₂ footprint,
• low-cost manufacturing processes,
• short service life.
✔️ CleanFilter Advantages
• local production,
• certified EU materials,
• fewer adhesives and binders,
• lower CO₂ footprint,
• safe materials free from PFAS and fiberglass.
📌 Conclusion
Low-cost filters of unclear origin may look attractive in price, but a healthy indoor environment can only be ensured by properly certified, high-quality filters.
✔️ Key signs of a quality filter:
• tested according to ISO 16890 (e.g., ePM1 70%),
• proven compliance with hygiene standards (VDI 6022),
• safe, certified materials,
• higher dust-holding capacity and longer service life,
• sustainable European materials and local manufacturing.
Zehnder ComfoAir Q 350/450/600 G4+G4 Filter set (Standard)
Ex VAT: £10.62
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Zehnder |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit |
|
| Filter dimensions | 500x159x22 |
| Class EN779 | G4+G4 |
| Class ISO16890 | Coarse 75% |
| Protection level | Basic: larger solid particles, dust, fluff. |
| Quantity of filters | 2 |
| Advantages |
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| Manufacturer product number |
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| Remarks | ⚠️ Remarks: ComfoAir ≠ ComfoAir Q. Different dimensions, not interchangeable. Check your ventilation unit model/version before ordering. |
SAVE VTR 300 (Energy +, BF) F7+G4 Filter set (Efficient)
Ex VAT: £25.02
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Systemair |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit | SAVE VTR 300 |
| Filter dimensions |
|
| Class EN779 | F7+G4 |
| Class ISO16890 | ePM1 65% |
| Protection level | High: fine particles, dust, pollen, mold spores, combustion particles, smog particles, insecticide dust. |
| Quantity of filters | 2 |
| Advantages |
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| Manufacturer product number |
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Brink Flair 325/400 G4+G4 Filter set (Standard)
Ex VAT: £5.47
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Brink |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit |
|
| Filter dimensions | 245x510x5 |
| Class EN779 | G4+G4 |
| Class ISO16890 | Coarse 65% |
| Protection level | Basic: larger solid particles, dust, fluff. |
| Quantity of filters | 2 |
| Advantages |
|
| Manufacturer product number | 1669551 |
| Remarks | ℹ️ This filter set protects the MVHR from larger particles. For finer filtration (pollen, smog), use an F7 supply air filter, available in our shop. |
Blauberg KOMFORT EC D5 180 G4+G4 Filter set (Standard)
Ex VAT: £9.20
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Blauberg |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit |
|
| Filter dimensions | 214x186x18 |
| Class EN779 | G4+G4 |
| Class ISO16890 | Coarse 75% |
| Protection level | Basic: larger solid particles, dust, fluff. |
| Quantity of filters | 2 |
| Advantages |
|
| Remarks |
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FLEXIT UNI 2 F7+F7 Filter set (Efficient)
Ex VAT: £16.81
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Flexit |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit | FLEXIT UNI 2 |
| Filter dimensions | 335x113x130 |
| Class EN779 | F7+F7 |
| Class ISO16890 | ePM1 70% |
| Protection level | High: fine particles, dust, pollen, mold spores, combustion particles, smog particles, insecticide dust. |
| Quantity of filters | 2 |
| Advantages |
|
| Manufacturer product number |
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Domekt R 250 F / R 400 F (up to 2021-03) 1xF7/AC Activated carbon...
Ex VAT: £16.23
| Manufacturer of MVHR | Komfovent |
| Manufacturer | CleanFilter |
| Air handling unit |
|
| Filter dimensions | 278x258x46 |
| Class EN779 | F7/AC |
| Class ISO16890 | ePM2.5 60% |
| Protection level | Particles and odors: fine particles, dust, pollen, mold spores, combustion particles, volatile particles, NOx, O3 gases. |
| Quantity of filters | 1 |
| Advantages |
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| Remarks |
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