furnace filters

[bucketmouth64]

What kind of furnace filter do you use? I've used the inexpensive fiberglass ones and the more expensive ones. I've been told by the techs when they service my furnace that I should stick with the cheap fiberglass ones. Reason is that the others make the furnace work harder because the air flow is restricted.

[sparcebag]

I use the True Blue Basic 7 rating.The finer the filter the harder the blower has to work,and they have to be changed more often,Its not like your filtering out pollens and germs in the winter,its more of recycling your interior air.Now in summer if you suffer from hayfever or related issues then I'd say get a finer filter for air cond.

[kunk]

I also had the service people tell me to use the cheaper ones. When I used the more expensive ones my furnace would overheat.

[solbes]

The original function of the filter was to protect the blower and HVAC system. Many of the filters now claim to also filter out allergens, hair, dust, etc. I use the 3M pleated mid grade (red) filters in the winter. It seems to help with one of our kids breathing in the winter. No evidence of course.

I have heard that these pleated filters will really kill the A/C performance in the summer. I did try the pleated in summer and the A/C seemed to a lot more so we switched to fiberglass.

[18 inch Crappie]

I use the True Blue that are on sale for $1.50. And change it every 2 months.

[papabear]

he's right the cheap ones are best believe it or not. They are there to keep debris off of the heat xchanger, coil, and blower. They are not intended to clean the air you breath. There are products to do that, like the air exchanger, or an electric filter on the furnace.

[PDOGG]

 Originally Posted By: papabear

he's right the cheap ones are best believe it or not. They are there to keep debris off of the heat xchanger, coil, and blower. They are not intended to clean the air you breath. There are products to do that, like the air exchanger, or an electric filter on the furnace.

You are correct the cheap ones are the best when changed monthly. Changeing them is the biggest issue all filters will work properly if changed frequently enough. 1" pleated filters with the real dense fibers that claim to clean the air better may do so but they raise the static pressure in the system alot and if you already have a marginal duct system it will cause the furnace to over heat and bump the limit which depending on your furnace could cause a lock-out or a craked heat exchanger. In the cooling mode this could also cause to little air to blow across the indoor coil causing it to freeze up which really affects the air conditioners performance to the point it may not work at all. This is why us furnace guys recommend the cheap filters. Now if you are looking to clean the air better an air exchanger does not help this at all it is only designed to bring in fresh air at the same rate is exhausting stale air from the house. It has small filters in it but thoose are only designed to protect the core. An electric air cleaner does clean the air but it also creates ozone which is a known lung irritant. Your best air cleaning system would be a media type box filter with a merv rating of 8-16. Theese filters are wider so some duct work will need to be modified if you are now using a standard 1" filter. Also a germicidal u.v light in conjunction with this filter is a great option.(u.v. lights can not be use without a filter.) I am not a big fan of the HEPA filters that they have out today as they only filter 30% of the air as opposed to all of it that goes through the system with the media air cleaner and the u.v. light.

[BoxMN]

Good info, thanks guys. What are your thoughts on the style like the Aprilair (sp?) 2400? We put one in when we got the new furnance. It is about 8-10" wide, and LOTS of pleat space. It is not mechanical. They recommend once per year filter change... about $25 per filter.

Thanks for info.

[PDOGG]

That should be a very good filter for you. Depending on your life style, any pets, gravel road, kids, in and out alot, etc. etc. that filter should last you anywhere between 6 months to a year just keep an eye on it. With all that extra filter area it takes quite a bit to plug them up.

[paceman]

I had an issue this past winter where my furnace was overheating. I of course never thought that was possible. But the culprit was my air filters. I was suppose to use a 2" filter but the 1" were cheaper so I put two of them in. Not a good idea. The two 1 inchers reduced the air flow enough that it caused problems. A good lesson learned.

[PDOGG]

I've seen that happen a few times but atleast you took the plastic wrapper off I've seen too many times.

[311Hemi]

Not sure on the difference in quality of air filters, but my wife works for an HVAC company and she brought home a metal air filter frame that they use for commercial purposes and she is just able to cut bulk filter material to size. It may not help for people that don't have access to the bulk material...but I wonder how much a bulk role would be. May have to look into that.

[bucketmouth64]

Great info. pdogg. Thanks for sharing. I think I'll stick with the cheap stuff.

[beaver11]

exactly right,cheap ones are the way to go