Summer break gives schools uninterrupted access to prepare the building and facilities for the upcoming year, ensuring a safe and healthy return for the students. HVAC systems are a crucial part of keeping students and faculty safe during the school year by improving the air everyone will breathe.
For Maintenance Managers and Superintendents, providing a high-efficiency filter solves more than the risk of particulate matter in the air. The more efficient a filter, the fewer change-outs and labor needed to service an HVAC unit, saving the district thousands of dollars.
Air filtration is central to a healthy academic environment. In a typical classroom of 30 students, about three are statistically likely to have asthma. Poor indoor air quality has been shown to cause respiratory problems, reduce attendance, and hurt concentration.
The benefits are measurable. A study across 30 primary schools in Bradford, England, found that classrooms with HEPA air filters had over 20 percent fewer pupil absences than classrooms without them. The lead researcher, Professor Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds, presented the findings at the World Health Organization Europe Indoor Air Conference in September 2023. A similar study in Milan found that classroom air filters reduced pupil absences by 12.5 percent.¹
A well-designed filtration strategy also affects operating expenses, maintenance schedules, and system reliability for the rest of the school year.
Why Summer Is the Window
During summer, maintenance departments have access that they cannot get once school resumes. Rooftop units and air handlers can be serviced without disrupting day-to-day activities on campus.
Summer is also a safer time to work on rooftop equipment than the winter months.
Major HVAC service should take place at least two weeks before teachers return, with seasonal HVAC planning and equipment readiness scheduled 30 to 45 days before cooling and occupancy demands begin to rise.
Start With the Filters
Summer is the right time to evaluate whether filtration efficiency should be upgraded. Moving from MERV 8 to MERV 13 improves the average filtration efficiency for particles in the 1.0 to 3.0 micron range, from between 20-35 percent to at least 85 percent and from 70 percent to more than 90 percent in the 3.0 to 10.0 micron range.
Proper installation matters as much as filter performance. Even a filter with a high rating loses effectiveness if air bypasses the media because the frame is not properly sealed. Optimizing your HVAC filters is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost steps schools can take to improve indoor air quality before students return.
AQ13 Panel Filter
Schools with rooftop units or single-stage air handling systems often face space limitations that make deeper filters impractical. The Camfil AQ13 Panel Filter provides a direct path from MERV 8 to MERV 13 filtration without requiring deeper filter configurations. This MERV 13/11A pleated panel filter complies with ASHRAE 241 and is available in 1, 2, and 4 inch depths with low pressure drop. A high-strength frame and welded wire backing help maintain rigidity and durability across its service life. For schools looking to improve filtration efficiency in existing rooftop equipment, the AQ13 offers an effective solution without major system modifications.
Hi-Flo ES Bag Filter
Schools with larger air handling units that accommodate pocket filters have different priorities. Energy efficiency, maintenance intervals, and long service life often matter as much as filtration performance.
The Camfil Hi-Flo ES Bag Filter combines high-efficiency filtration with the lowest average pressure drop for low energy cost. It is guaranteed to last 12 months or longer without a prefilter. Tapered pockets use Controlled Media Spacing to maximize use of the filter media, and the molded frame helps prevent air bypass. Its extended service life means fewer filter changes during the school year, which reduces maintenance interruptions and lowers labor and disposal costs.
Durafil ES3
Facilities that require a high-efficiency final filtration stage have another option.
The Camfil Durafil ES3 is a compact V-bank final filter designed for high-efficiency commercial HVAC applications. It is available in MERV 13/13A, MERV 14/14A, and MERV 16/16A efficiency ratings (ASHRAE 52.2), and is engineered to provide a low initial pressure drop and high dust-holding capacity, helping to reduce energy use and extend filter life. Its compact design enables high filtration performance in air handling units while helping lower life-cycle operating costs, making it well suited for schools and other facilities seeking improved indoor air quality.
Match the Filter to the System
Selecting the right filter depends on the equipment already installed.
Choose the AQ13 Panel Filter for rooftop units and single-stage systems that need a practical upgrade to MERV 13. Use the Hi-Flo ES Bag Filter where air handlers accommodate pocket filters and long service life with low energy consumption is the priority. Select the Durafil ES3 as the final filtration stage where high efficiency and the lowest life-cycle cost are the primary goals.
The Payoff: Cleaner Air and Lower Costs
Summer HVAC preparation delivers benefits well beyond operational efficiency.
Schools without significant maintenance backlogs see about four to five additional students present each school day for every 1,000 enrolled, along with roughly 10 to 13 percent fewer annual dropouts compared to similar schools that have deferred maintenance.²
Air quality also affects achievement. Research shows that students in classrooms with better air quality perform at higher levels on standardized math and reading assessments.
Financial performance matters too. HVAC systems typically account for 40 to 60 percent of a school’s building energy use. Filters with high pressure drop or short service life force systems to work harder, and they increase labor and disposal costs through more frequent replacements.
Looking at total cost of ownership rather than purchase price helps schools capture savings across the entire life of the filtration system.
“Summer gives schools the opportunity to prepare HVAC systems before classrooms fill again. The most effective approach is to match the right filter to each stage of the system and evaluate performance based on total cost of ownership, not price alone,” said Jason Cooper, Business Development Manager for Camfil, USA.
A Simple Summer Checklist
- Visually check that all HVAC filters are in good physical condition and operating within manufacturer’s specifications
- Review current MERV ratings and upgrade where the system allows
- Inspect frame seals and fit to eliminate air bypass
- Clean coils and drain pans before cooling season
- Confirm outdoor air dampers and economizers are operating correctly
- Schedule maintenance before the late-summer rush
- Document all service work for board reporting and audit records
FAQ
Why is summer the best time for school HVAC maintenance?
Summer gives crews safe access to rooftop equipment and air handlers while buildings are unoccupied. It also lets districts complete planned work before contractors and filter inventories become stretched during back-to-school season.
What MERV rating do schools need?
Schools should always follow any state or local requirements, but many schools are upgrading from MERV 8 to MERV 13 where system design allows, because of the improved filtration efficiency for smaller airborne particles. The right rating depends on the HVAC system and applicable indoor air quality requirements.
How often should schools change HVAC filters?
Filters should be replaced when physically damaged or when pressure drop has increased to the point airflow into the building decreases below acceptable levels. This timetable depends on the quality of the filter, the filter type, system design, and operating conditions.
What is ASHRAE 241, and does it apply to schools?
ASHRAE Standard 241 establishes minimum requirements for reducing the risk of disease transmission through infectious aerosols in buildings, including schools. It addresses ventilation, air cleaning, and system operation.
For filters evaluated under ASHRAE Standard 52.2, Standard 241 requires MERV-A ratings, which measure filtration efficiency after conditioning and provide a better indication of how well a filter maintains its performance over time.
Do higher-efficiency filters raise energy costs?
Not necessarily. Pressure drop has a significant influence on energy use. A filter designed with low pressure drop can deliver higher filtration efficiency while still helping control operating expenses.
Summer is the best window schools have to prepare their HVAC systems for the year ahead. Start your staged filtration strategy by selecting a filter that matches the equipment, and evaluate solutions based on total cost of ownership rather than purchase price.
To develop the right filtration strategy for your school district, speak with a Camfil air quality expert or request a site survey.
Camfil has been helping people around the world breathe cleaner air through premium air filtration solutions for over 60 years. Our products improve indoor air quality, protect critical processes, and support energy-efficient HVAC performance across commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial applications.
Sources
¹ National Education Union, “Good ventilation in schools and colleges and how to achieve it.” Bradford study led by Professor Cath Noakes, University of Leeds, presented at the World Health Organization Europe Indoor Air Conference, September 2023. https://neu.org.uk/latest/library/good-ventilation-schools-and-colleges-and-how-achieve-it
² How Does Indoor Air Quality Impact Student Health and Academic Performance? https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/how-does-indoor-air-quality-impact-student-health-and-academic-performance
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