This 18″ × 20″ × 4″ Koch MicroMAX PL4S Header Style filter (part number 120-625-1820) delivers MERV 14 filtration in a 4-inch-deep extended-surface minipleat design with 100% synthetic media, a plastic frame, and a factory-installed peripheral header for side-access housings.
This is the same proven PL4S construction trusted in commercial HVAC — 4″ depth, all-synthetic dual-layer media, plastic frame, and minipleat geometry — with one critical addition: the peripheral header on the air-entering face. The header guides the filter into side-access housing tracks and seals against the housing gasket on installation, replacing the open-edge box-style construction with a configured fit for side-loaded AHUs. The synthetic-media advantage carries over: this filter holds up to humidity, marine and coastal air, frequent wet/dry cycles, and aggressive face velocities where micro fiberglass paper can shed or weaken.
When MicroMAX PL4S Header Style is specified
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Side-access air handler housings — the peripheral header is the standard interface for side-loaded commercial AHUs
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Front-load holding frames that require header sealing — matches existing system design without retrofit
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High-moisture environments — coastal, marine, humid industrial; synthetic media doesn’t shed or weaken the way glass-fiber paper can
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High-velocity HVAC — rigid extended-surface construction in synthetic media maintains pleat geometry under turbulent airflow
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Variable-air-volume (VAV) systems — reliable performance through airflow swings
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Hospitals, pharmaceutical, and lab facilities — proven media reliability in critical IAQ environments
Design and construction
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Media: 100% synthetic, extended-surface minipleat construction
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Frame: Plastic with factory-installed peripheral header (Header Style)
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Header: Factory-bonded to the air-entering side for side-access installation
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Media-pack-to-frame seal: Bonded to entire frame periphery (eliminates air bypass)
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Configuration: Extended-surface minipleat, 4″ nominal depth
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Efficiency rating: MERV 14 per ASHRAE 52.2-2017
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Listings: UL Classified per UL Standard 900
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Manufacturing: ISO 9001 registered facility
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Recommended final resistance: 1.5″ w.g.
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Pack size: 3 filters per case
What MERV 14 captures
Very high-efficiency filtration capturing most sub-micron particles including smoke, bacteria, and many viruses. Specified in hospitals, surgical suites, pharmaceutical, and demanding cleanroom pre-filter applications.
Header Style vs. Box Style: which to choose
The Header Style (this filter) is built specifically for housings that load filters from the side and seal against a peripheral header on the air-entering face. The Box Style (PL4S Box) is the standard front-loaded version used in most commercial filter slots and holding frames. Both share identical media and frame construction — the only difference is the header. Match this to your housing: if you currently run a header-style filter, replace it with the Header Style; if you run a standard box-style filter, the Box Style PL4S is the right SKU.
PL4S Header vs. PL6 Header: synthetic vs. microfiberglass
The PL6 also offers a single-header configuration but uses micro fiberglass paper media instead of synthetic. Both header-style filters serve the same housing type; the choice comes down to environment. The PL4S Header (this filter, 4″) is the right pick for high-moisture, marine, coastal, or high-velocity applications where synthetic media outperforms glass-fiber. The PL6 (6″) offers more dust-holding capacity and longer service life in standard dry-air commercial environments. Match depth to housing first; choose synthetic when moisture or velocity matters.
Important sizing and ordering notes
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Sizes listed are nominal. Actual dimensions are slightly under nominal — standard for the industry; the filter slides into a nominal-sized slot without binding.
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Special sizes are not available. The MicroMAX PL4S Header Style ships only in the standard sizes listed.
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Full carton quantities only. Per Koch’s shipping policy, MicroMAX PL4S ships in full carton quantities for safe transit.
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The header determines the air-entering face. Unlike the box-style version, the header style has a fixed orientation — install with the header facing the airstream.
Compatibility
The MicroMAX PL4S Header Style is interchangeable with most competitive 4-inch header-style minipleat filters in the same nominal size. It is the direct synthetic-media replacement for headered glass-fiber filters in moisture-prone or high-velocity installations.