35
votes
Accepted
Do I really need an air conditioner filter?
Yes, you'll distribute crud through your ventilation. On top of that, you'll accumulate crud in your AC unit. BAAAAADDD idea.
- 566
17
votes
Do I really need an air conditioner filter?
Yep... "BAAAADDD" idea. Don't remove your filters, you'll gum up your equipment. Nobody's house is "lint free".
I really want the least amount of resistance in order to cool ...
- 545
11
votes
Control smell coming in from neighboring Dry cleaner
First thing to consider: does the law in your area require the cleaning company to restrict the fumes from their operation? If it does, and they aren't in compliance, the government may be able to get ...
- 9,146
10
votes
Do I really need an air conditioner filter?
The air handler is designed to work with a certain amount of resistance on the air inlet side as well as on the output side. If you would remove all resistance on the inlet side, the air handler motor ...
- 22.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Why won't my furnace filter go in?
The thin (1") slot is for a standard passive filter.
The larger slot is for an electronic air cleaner. A much more complex and expensive beast. I have them in my furnace. They haven't really ...
8
votes
Do dirty air filters trap more or less dust and dirt?
A new clean filter has pores or mesh of a certain size. As material accumulates on the face of the filter, pore size within the accumulated material tends to get smaller. In that sense, the size of ...
- 223k
7
votes
Accepted
Can i use air filter that is one inch smaller
Filters only work if the air has to go through them. The filter has air resistance and a gap doesn't, so if you leave a 1" gap, a disproportionate amount of air will flow through the hole, effectively ...
- 6,128
6
votes
Which way is air flow direction in this system?
It's the red arrow. The black arrow next to the filter size also shows this. Furnaces generally draw air in from the bottom.
- 1,834
5
votes
How can I find an appropriate replacement air filter for my furnace?
It's a standard 25" x 16" x 4" filter (41625 is the size as well as the part number for that filter).
You can pick them up at any DIY store in the US for about $40.
- 1,513
5
votes
How can I clean this kind of filter? Is it the reason why very little air is coming from the vents and the house is not getting cooler?
You don't clean it.
You replace it. There are some metal filters designed to be cleaned. But the type of filter you have is designed to be replaced.
These are standard items, available at any hardware ...
5
votes
Are there benefits to retrofitting thicker furnace filters?
The bigger filter is better, but it would necessitate modifications... AND the furnace blower is designed to pull through a specific filter.
Just stick with the filter the system calls for.
- 457
4
votes
What to do with unused furnace filters?
While there might be other uses for them , typically in your home there is not a real alternative use.
Drop them off at a Habitat for Humanity Restore store.
- 5,433
4
votes
Do I really need an air conditioner filter?
I was naive when I moved into my first apartment with an HVAC. But the owners were also negligent and did not keep up with a maintenance schedule. I was later told that they replace the filter "...
- 385
4
votes
Accepted
How do I add a filter to the return air vent of my retrofitted forced air system?
Of course, shortly after posting this question, a little more searching yielded the answer, as detailed in this video.
The vent has been cut and prepared for the installation of a filter rack, but one ...
- 175
4
votes
HVAC air filter replacement interval in hours?
The "every 3 months" recommendation has an unknowable set of assumptions built into it. There are so many variables, for example:
How dusty is your outdoor environment? How well-sealed is ...
- 32.1k
3
votes
filtered air intake for whole house fan
I am doing this now. Using a 10"x36" carbon filter attached to a window vent (so it's kind of automatic). This is good for 1400 CFM. If you go up to 12" or 14" I'm sure it can handle 2200 CFM. About $...
- 31
3
votes
Which respirator filter do I need?
The CDC has a technical bit about the regulations for respirators (in the US, at least). There are two types of respirators - particulate and chemical / gaseous / vapor (they also make combination).
...
- 8,891
3
votes
Can houseplants actually improve air quality?
I would do both plants and an air filter. You can purchase a reasonable sized air filter for $89 on Amazon (Honeywell 17000-S QuietCare True HEPA Air Purifier, 200 sq ft) that does a pretty good job ...
- 31
3
votes
Electronic air cleaner vs pleated filters
You will still want a particulate filter at the intake, I was taught to put particulate filters at each inlet position this helps keep the ductwork clean and prevent build up in the heat exchanger.
...
- 103k
3
votes
Accepted
Figuring out the furnace filter
If you want to install the filter in the air handler using its filter rails you need to reroute the condensate drain. It's in the way, you can't use those rails now. I would put a 90 degree bend to ...
- 43.7k
3
votes
Can I use an air pump for a short amount of time to pump out some water out of a small container?
Fashion a cover for the container with a tube that reaches the bottom of the container coming through it. If you can make it seal well enough, continuing to pump air in will pump water out the tube.
...
- 223k
3
votes
HVAC air filter replacement interval in hours?
Inspection is your friend here. Take the filter out and look at it. If it's covered with dust and dirty. Time to replace. If you can see lots of light thru it, it's good to go for another 3 months or ...
- 23.2k
3
votes
Which way is air flow direction in this system?
The air flow will be rightward in this picture. Here are several ways to tell:
The air filter is always the first thing the return air flows through when it enters the furnace. That way, the ...
- 4,054
3
votes
Do dirty air filters trap more or less dust and dirt?
Ecnerwal wrote:
A new clean filter has pores or mesh of a certain size. As material accumulates on the face of the filter, pore size within the accumulated material tends to get smaller. In that ...
- 2,385
2
votes
Why would a furnace overheat with a standard density filter?
This is extremely easy to test and should have been tested at startup and every time it is serviced. Measure the temperature of the air entering the furnace and measure the temperature exiting the ...
- 1,616
2
votes
Working furnace but smell like electrical fire
I called someone and turned out the motor was bad as I suspected. Both motor and capacitor were replaced and it works perfectly now
- 1,876
2
votes
Working furnace but smell like electrical fire
The filter placement looks incorrect to me. Every furnace I've seen has the filter on the other side of the venting into the fan box, causing the filter to be pulled tight against the opening. With ...
- 575
2
votes
Accepted
Should I filter polluted outside air as it comes through my window or clean it inside the room?
You have the right idea. Since you have the inverse of most situations, where your outdoor air is more polluted than indoors, you should filter incoming air. Then, since not all air will be cleaned (...
- 144k
2
votes
Air filter recommendations to filter dust mites
Stand-alone filters are basically marketed in two capabilities -- big stuff or small stuff. Big stuff is visible dust (specs you can see floating in the air when sunlight hits it). Those filters ...
- 6,128
2
votes
Can i use air filter that is one inch smaller
I ordered air filters that were the exact same size as the one I removed. As I recall, the old filter fit perfectly. When I received the new filters, they were too small even though I took the ...
- 21
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible