How To Upgrade Your HVAC Air Filter To A 5” Honeywell. -6 Month Or More Runtime!-
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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Honeywell 4" filter rack 16x25: amzn.to/3TnnjnU
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In this video we walk you through how to upgrade your filter rack from a 1" to a 4" filter rack. This will allow you to run 4'' filters and have much longer runtimes and better filtration. I hope you found it informative! Cheers
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This video is for educational purposes. Any and all HVAC repair work is done at your own risk. The DIY HVAC Guy channel is not responsible for any possible damages or injuries caused by the use or misuse of the provided information.
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My respect to many HVAC technicians with valuable information on the internet but you are definitely the best to Watch!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I’ve learned a lot from all your videos.
God bless you!
You are a master craftsman of your trade. I watched this for curiosities sake, but your skill made me enjoy the show. And… I have a general understanding of how to install a 4” filter to my exchange.
I appreciate all your work putting this video together! I've been wanting to upgrade my filtration feom the current 1" into a 4" setup. I now have e confidence to tackle this on my own. I have two furnace units which would benefit from this upgrade. I GREATLY appreciate the step by step instructions! I can't thank you enough!
Paul
I had a 21" x 26" x 5" filter similar to yours installed on my Trane 5 ton system in 1999. It works great, keeps the indoor coil really clean, but the filters are pretty expensive compared to 1" filters. I use the lowest MERV I can find which is usually 8. Filters tend to cost about $25 to $45 EACH when purchased in a 2 pack. That includes shipping, but I only have to change them every 60 to 90 "Running Days" which are 24 hour actual running periods) calculated by my thermostat. I like them... Nice Job on your conversion, I think you or your customer will be happy with the upgrade. Thanks for sharing the video.
I get MERV 11s for $13 each on Amazon
Wow! I would have never even considered installing this upgrade myself as I did not know what I know now that I have watched this video. Thanks for sharing the information with us.
Great Video. I just had one of these professionally installed yesterday since both of my returns/filters were high up in the air. One was 15 feet up and I've been changing them monthly since we have a few pets. No more dragging the huge ladder in the living room and bedroom thanks to this filter.
He installed this for me in May 2023 and did a great job. He replaced and old Trane Electronic Filter with it, and I'm really liking it. Unfortunately I ordered some Filter Buy 16x25x4 replacement filters and found out they are not a true 16x25x4 size. You have to get the "16 x 25 x 5" FilterBuy or the 16 x 25 x 4 Honeywell filters to fit this module.
No filters are true dimensions. Even the honeywell in this video are 16x19 1/2 x 4.5. ….not 16x20x4 like it says on the filter. The whole system is retarded.
How much did it cost to have him do this for you? I'm in the SLC area and interested in him doing this.
This is what I’m looking to replace as well. The trane electronic one seems to have stopped working and I don’t want to pay to get it fixed.
Just another tip. Vacuum the motor air vents every year. Filters do not stop all the air. Dust building on the inlet air of the motor help keep the motor cool dust buildup will overheat it.
You are an artisan with the sheet metal work. Kudos.
Thank you so much!
That unit had to be starving for air with such a small opening in the heater cabinet. Nice work,
Yea! I didn’t realize how little the opening was until doing this upgrade
You are a master craftsman of your trade...
RESPECT!
Great professional work! Everyone wants a 4" filter job now.
Great video and information. I may need to do just exactly this in Austin for my daughter who has allergies. Many thanks.
Furnace efficiency probably went up by 50-70%. Great information as usual!
Thank you!
I can only imagine, makes me want to inspect my sister in laws place now.
@@diyhvacguy It's not hard to imagine the airflow improvement after you snipped 50% sheet metal away from in front of the squirrel-cage fan.
The size of the opening for the return air was at least 40% too small to begin with. Just cutting the inlet the correct size alone would have increase efficiency . New filters rack was not the main reason for better operations.
Chances are the furnace was running way too hot because of poor inlet air flow.
More air in, more air out!
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I use 20x25x4 filters merv 13 in my furnace. I also get the filters from Filter Buy by the case. The filters are expensive but the best price on line.
What is your static pressure with the filter
@@CCCC-tq8yo How do you measure this? And how do you determine if your existing system can handle an upgrade to a higher MERV filtration system?
@@jimsutton8874 hire someone to check the static pressure
Decades ago, I added a Honeywell electronic air filter of about the same dimensions to my Trane furnace. I paid a local company to bend the sheet metal for the offset transition because I didn't have a sheet metal brake. I did the rest of the installation.
After about a year, I decided that I didn't care for the Honeywell electronic filter. I got 4" pleated filters that fit the Honeywell case where the electronic grids had been. I've wanted to put a 4" filter in my current house for a while and with this video I see that I can do it myself. Thanks.
Why did you remove the electronic filter? I have been thinking about converting from our 1” filter to the Aprilaire 5000 electronic filter.
@@beri232 There were several reasons. As larger dust particles pass through the grids it would make a crackling or snap sound similar to a bug zapper. As the air passes through the high voltage grid, it converts some of the air to ozone. I could definitely smell the ozone. Some people are more sensitive to ozone as in higher consecrations it is a lung irritant.
The grids and mesh prefilter need to be cleaned about every two months. They should be soaked in warm soapy water for a couple of hours, then rinsed and air dried before returning them to service. I found that a hassle.
The other problem is that unless your furnace (or air handler) uses a one speed blower, you will have to use additional relays or an air flow switch to turn the air filter on when the system is running. Mine used a pressure sensing switch the pressure difference between the air return and the output when the blower was running. Unfortunately, getting the switch adjusted just right was a problem. If I set it sensitively enough to turn on with low air flow, sometimes it would stick on and if I increased the setting, it would turn off, but then sometimes it would not turn on with low air flow.
In the end I found an inexpensive local source for HEPA rated 4" pleated filters that worked great and were easy to change about every 3 or 4 months.
I would add in all fairness, my parents had the same Honeywell air cleaner. My father didn't mind the maintenance. I think that their furnace was older and had a single speed blower so the air cleaner could be wired in parallel with the blower motor. That would eliminate one problem. So, they liked the electronic air cleaner.
I hope that helps. Like anything, your mileage may vary.
@@BryanTorok if you are running a Hepa filter would that be a Merv16 or a Merv13 rating? I have actually read a bit on the ozone thing with those electronic filters.
@@beri232 Some just stated they were HEPA rated. That was before MERV ratings were as common as today. The later filters and what I use today are mostly MERV 13.
I have 2 furnaces that need to be upgraded from 1" filters. Thank you for this detailed explanation!
Funny thing happened after I watched this video, I reached into a pickle jar and my finger started stinging bad.
I think I got sympathetic cuts after watching you fling that sheet metal around! 😅
🤣🤣
Man, every time that i mess with sheet metal i slice my fingers idk how you do it without gloves. Also i bet this furnace was having airflow issues with this small return.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! Yea I didn’t realize that’s how small it was until I took that old return off!
Ha ha, me too. I get cut and nicked up without gloves.
That was a bad ass fabrication job!
Thank you sir!
Been thinking of doing this on my own unit, thanks for showing the process.
Thank you for recording and posting this valuable educational video.
Thanks, I bought the same filter frame and installed it. My only problem was the sealing between the filter and the door. On mine there is a gasket around the perimeter of the door, but the door is much wider than the filter and there's at least a 1/2" gap between the door and the filter allowing air to go right around the filter. I added additional gasket to seal the door to the filter, but pressing on the side of the filter isn't the way to seal it properly. It should have framing on more than just 3 sides.
Mine has the gasket on the perimeter like yours but it also has a strip of foam up the middle of the door that comes in contact with the filter.
Your metal working skills are awesome!
Thank you! I appreciate your kind words 🙏🏻
Another excellent video. Thanks again for doing these. You’re good at it.
Hope you never have to take that drop apart! Duct seal is also a very good adhesive when dry!
I bought the same unit 4 months ago installed it with my new furnace in Late February
So many variables with 1 inch filters,people see Honeywell,3M, etc and assume that they are good filters,because those companies do produce alot of other good products . I only use Camfil filters in the one inch variety and have zero issues! They are the best filters you can buy and are priced right! I have people that easily get 6 months out of them,some only get a month or so,but they have pets and probably dont clean as often!
Excellent description of the process. I can try it myself.
This is an excellent transition demo. I don't see many like this one and I always wondered how the attachment happens. Thanks.
Thank you. Will start scouting my local HD, Lowes or HVAC supplier for parts. will also consider adding other DIY HVAC upgrades
You are an excellent teacher. From Taylorsville UT
Thank you so much! 🙏🏻
This was super interesting and fun to watch and wow I learned a lot! Thank you for your fantastic presentation, you made everything very clear.
Great video to show how to do the sheet metal duck work!
The perfect multi tool screen roller and a trunk line popper Line
My unit came with an Aprilaire 2200 filter (the filter from hell to change) I used the upgrade kit (easy to install DIY) The ugrade took the filter up to merv 13. Easy to change (no crazy plastic slats) just slide in slide out. Filter is now good for 8 plus months
I just installed one on my unit. Very nice set up and installs quite well
Doooood!!!
Had no idea you were in SLC as well!
I'm trying to get started in HVAC & have a good deal of knowledge.
Please tell me if you'd ever need some help. Love your channel!
Dude you are an Artist! Great tips! Thanks
Awesome install!!! Thanks. Would be cool if you include the static pressure change before and after upgrade
Great video. Nice breakdown of the process.
A+ thanks. This totally addressed my exact same furnace filter rack questions.
I always enjoy your videos. I've also have learned a lot , Thanks
After lots of research and doing the whole pros and cons, we have made the decision to go with mini splits in our home. We were going to install a Gree 3 ton inverter heat pump. But we chose not to.Mostly because even if we installed our own system, there just aren't any reputable hvac contractors that will work on it should anything happen afterward. The one con to mini splits that I had to just accept is the fact that the filters on them are no different than filters on window units! I really wish someone would invent a way to have a better air filter on them.
I saw better air filter for them on a video on youtube of someone who installed one, filters just like for furnaces. They exist
My Pioneer mini-split screens (not really filters) look horribly flimsy yet capture an amazing amount of dusty and debris. Without then the unit would be incredibly clogged up. I have to clean mine every 3 months. No problem.
I'm thinking of doing the same on my own system. I have 1" filters at the return grilles and I have total 3 of them (2 12x24 + 20x25) in my house. I am also planning to add smaller returns 10x10 and 12x12 to 3 of the bedrooms that have no returns. The one time cost of the filter rack will pay itself in 6-8 months at worst as 5x 1" filter can get pricey every 3 months or so.
Man you gave me anxiety for sheet metal cuts on your hands lol. I've been there many times. 😅
I have used Carrier Ez flex filters for years. Filter buy is a Great tip for buying filters on line, looks like it will be a money saver. Thanks for the Filter buy tip and showing the sheet metal techniques, nice job.
Of course! Cheers man.
I'm curious why you didn't run a straight run from the intake with the 5 inch filter horizontal sandwiched between a 90 degree sheet metal box toward the handler instead of diving around the 5 inch filter mounted vertically.
Right? Good question.
I would have opened up the airflow but once the filter box was siliconed on I would have used the same duct work box, just flared out to meet up with the exaisting box, cut a janky piece to marry the new filter rack stack, then seal it up with lots of tape. Of course, I've never worked on HVAC so what do I know?
Great video. Just had two Honeywell 4 inch media filters MERV11 installed on each one of my furnaces, I have two units one for each floor. I was curious if I should discontinue using the cheap green 1 inch filters (MERV 1) that are placed in the inside of the house, I have 4 intakes (2 on each floor). My concern is restricting air flow and having the blower work harder than it should. I was curious if I should drop the media filter from merv 11 to 8 and continue use the cheap green ones in the house to reduce dust build up in the duct system. I would appreciate any thoughts, comments and suggestions. Take care all.
Were you able to do a static pressure improvement comparison? Curious.
Bro that is beautiful work 👍🏽
Great job. I need a 12 x 30 inch filter return grid for a new install of a daikin. Can you recommend a brand ?
Nice work! Would love to see a video on how the flow rate changes by reducing the duct size.
Great suggestion!
I was concerned about that at first, but it's actually a larger overall cross-section in the new piece of duct. There will be some losses in the angled transitions, but not nearly as much as putting a MERV 8 1" filter in the return compared to a MERV 8 4" media.
Before and after static pressure would have been interesting, both with brand new filters ideally.
beautiful work....love it!!
Curious if this took up more room on the side than the existing duct. My current setup is pretty tight with our hot water heater on the other side of the existing duct. I always have to bend traditional 1” pleated filters to fit them into existing rails which compromises their structural integrity. It’s not long until I find them being sucked up against the blower. Needless to say, our house has a dust issue. Would love to have something like this installed!
Very nice teaching 👍🏼
Nice video. It kinda looks like you could have retained the original ducting and opened it up to accept the Honeywell. Maybe creating an internal transition? My return also comes straight down next to the fan box but has the 1" filter upstairs at the return grate.
I've always thought putting to much obstruction in front of a evap. motor would starve the airflow through the evap. 3M seams to make the filters to Hepa. I also believe if you do go Hepa, you should also upgrade your fan motor.
This is some pretty ingenious fabrication. But I am curious about a few issues. Other videos I have watched discussed doing the math to determine the proper airflow and losses through the duct work for a given system. Meaning - System A has a certain theoretical air flow. The duct work used to get air in and out of that system have loss factors for each transition, bend and tube size used. So all the ducts and tubes are planned to provide as close to zero loss as possible in the ideal case. Because your transition duct is 10"x20" being fed by a duct that is 16"x20" is there a loss factor on the transition that will cause air flow reduction or maybe also noise as the air speeds up going into the fan box?
That bending tool is great now to find where to buy it and hopefully it's not too much money
amzn.to/3yHuptV $20 😎
I would've cut my fingers to ribbons doing all that.
Great video... thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
I watch alot of your videos. You do a great job explaining what you are doing and why. THANK YOU FOR THAT!
I do have a question,
Are there any products that you would recommend to constantly monitor static pressure before and after the filter in order to know when a filter NEEDS changed? Something that is meant to be permanently mounted to the unit that I can simply glance at it to know if pressure is too high.
You would just be wasting your money. Check the filter every couple of months if it is easy access. If your ducts are dirty, just have them cleaned along with your wheel.
I used to work for this pharmaceutical company where we used tens of very expensive Hepa filters. WE used magnetic pressure differential meters to know when to replace the filters. We had to record the readings daily but in the end we replace the filters every 3 months not matter what the meters were telling us!!!! ( about S4000.00/filter) I installed a similar meter on my furnace but it does not really work
Yes. I was also wondering why he didn’t measure the static pressure. Dwyer sells a static pressure probe kit and a magnahelic gauge to measure the pressure. It’s meant to be permanently installed. First I would measure the total static pressure across the furnace with no filter to see how much pressure drop is left for the filter. Most furnaces specify a total drop of 0.5” w.c. Which is 125Pa. The max pressure drop will be on a label inside your furnace door. Say you have 50Pa of pressure drop below the max listed for your furnace, then move the static probes across the filter and mark the gauge at 50Pa and replace the filter when the reading hits the line. Remember the more the filter is plugged, the better it will filter but will have less airflow. As long as you are comfortably under the max static pressure for your furnace you will be ok. Consider a 5” Lennox merv 16 if you have enough pressure drop allowance for it. Residential work tends to be quick and dirty and not designed - if it works it works - but nothing stopping a motivated DIY guy from making some nice improvements that will improve airflow (turning vanes, right-sized ducting e.g.) and improving filtration. Particulate pollution is a major cause of disease and is now linked to cognitive decline.
Love your videos. Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you so much!
Thank you David. That is helpful.
Great video! Is there an easy way to convert my 2” filter box to a 4”? It’s a standup air handler with the filter at the bottom of the handler.
Does it matter if the filter box door is facing up (on the top)? I don’t think I have room for the door if installed with door to the front because of the drain pipe and copper going to the air handler.
What are your thoughts on turning vanes. I have a similar setup here that I am going to do and some people don't liked those mitred corners. Ibought my big honewell box and plan to rehab the return to fit the filter box.
How much better would a radius transition be? Is it not worth the effort to do vanes or radius?
Ever check the before and after static pressure of the system? You may have just increased the resistance by .2-.4 inwc. Cuz this will be detrimental to the air flow!
No way, I didn’t need to check static. It absolutely was lowered by doing this. We opened up the side of the furnace by like 1/3 and the 4” filters have so much more surface area then a 1” filter.
You really should be warning people about wearing cut resistant gloves some homeowner is going to end up in the hospital 😂
lol
Very informative. I like it!
Great informative video, thank you very much
Do you have to tune or check for pressure drops after doing this? I have a newer system in a new house... It has a 1inch filter... Would like to get a 4 or 5 in there but not sure... Generally some rooms are cooler vs hotter when I take the cheapo fiberglass out and put in anything merv related.
this whole work you did .. how much would it cost ? the whole service including parts and labor
Nice work bro! 👍
My airhandler in S Florida is on a stand with a 1" filter tray that sits directly under the unit. How would we convert that to accept the 4 or 5" filters?
how did you so cleanly bend the edges of the end cap?
Excellent work
Good to know this "Better" than a battery car in saving a carbin foot print
I wish it was standard practice to use an arrangement that would not tie you down to filters one particular thickness.
Is there any issue with installing this on its side with furnace sitting on top for a vertical Air flow set up?
Is there ceiling mount version of this? Preferably, a 14 x 25 since that's the size I have now. I've searched but I haven't really found anything.
great work. informative.
Fantastic Nice work
Very informative, Great teacher!
Glad it was helpful! Cheers
Wondering if that was a good time to clean the blower wheel?
does this help with noise? my home ac/heat is very loud its inside of a small laundry room and the vent sucks in air from the hallway which is right next to the office which is anoying loud i have to shut the door and its still loud we put a second vent one on top and bottom to try to help but did nothing. i dont know if anything can be done to quiet it because it may just be having the system 5 feet away is going to be loud no matter what. i wish i could relocate it somewhere else in the home but its a small house not a lot of room unless i built a new room or put it in the garage somehow. just sick and tired of hearing this noise and it runs quite often probably on 50% of the time and off 50% of the time so very annoying
I have 1" filters (5 total) in all the filtered returns in my house. Would you recommend removing those and utilizing this 4" filter/filter rack for my system? This looks like it would be more beneficial to run the 4".
Would you do the same thing if the air flow is from the top of the furnace?
Question, we have a two story home with a large air intake on the second floor with filter -shouldn't we also have a filter down at furnace? Home is 18 years old so newer furnace system-thanks!
What happens to the static pressure? You opened a bigger hole in your furnace intake
I didn’t measure it but I probably should have. I’m sure the total static pressure went down by opening that up.
My mom has a 4" AprilAir in a plastic holder in a plastic piece attached to her system. I have been changing and cleaning it for 20 years because neither her or her husband have been able to do so. When I called the installer to inquire why I cannot pop in from the intake cover they advise they pay him to do it, that was the first time I did it myself. I would love to have it upgraded. The intake sets in a hallway where we have easy direct access so I personally do not understand why they even have that set up. It is not even sealed correctly which is why I need to clean it. I know that would slice my hands if not careful. Can the sealant be used on the outside of ducting. My mom has things wired together in her crawlspace.
I thoroughly enjoy your videos. You explain everything in great detail. I have a few questions. How much would you have charged a customer for that job? Is the EPA 608 cert worth it for a DIY person? I am about to tackle my air handler in my attic. I have seen your trouble shooting videos for those. If I am not getting proper air flow upstairs, would that be the problem?
Airflow could be a few things, clogged Evap coil, frozen Evap coil, dirty filter obviously, or if something got sucked in possibly. Pinched flex duct if you have flex ductwork. Fan motor issues. There is a lot of potential things.
On this job, I’d have probably charged close to a thousand dollars. On the epa, yes I think as a homeowner it’s definitely worth having because you never know what hvac repairs you’ll need to do, and in my opinion it’s a great skill to acquire. I’ll be doing a video on getting your epa card very soon!
If you need help with your replacement, check out our membership over at Patreon.com/diyhvacguy where we will give you one on one assistance with any HVAC questions or roadblocks you may run into. Cheers!
Building duct work for various spots in the house is something I dont even know where to start. Buy premade circular duct or make your own box ducts? Where do you even buy the sheet metal?
Most supply houses have it,4x8 sheet rolled up!
If I was going to add ducts I’d use collars and flex duct. But this was different as it was a rigid return. You just have to learn little by little. Hopefully this one was informative for ya 👍🏼 I think Home Depot sells sheet metal by the roll.
Would it be acceptable or within code to mount the filter box horizontally? I'd imagine fabricating the lower duct to match the furnace opening and at 90 degrees match it with the filter box on top. Then duct the top side of the filter box to the original ductwork overhead.
Is that how you do all your transitions ?
Great stuff. In SLC area... Question, i have seen your other video on cleaning the coil... and so if I have this type of thicker filter as part of my system, will that eliminate the need to clean the coil or just increase the time between cleaning the coil? And how often should I be cleaning the coil anyway with this 4" or 5" thick filter?
If you have a well sealed 4” filter rack then you shouldn’t ever need to clean the evaporator coil. My system had a lot of bypass due to a crappy filter setup. You can always pull the Evap coil cover off and the triangular piece and inspect it! Cheers
Beautiful job!!
What’s the model number for the rack?
Hi David, question, I have a horizontal furnace that is 20in deep and 14in high. Honeywell does not have this size, but if I install the 16x20 rack would I be loosing the 2 inches of filtration? Or should I extend the return box from 14 to 16 inches but the furnace will still be 14 as there is not more room to open a horizontal return. Thank you
Just tackled this, its definitely turned out pretty straight forward with what I already had. Just removed the entire return as it was not super big and was hanging in the air by two screws. Moved the return out more, then snuck in the Honeywell rack, had about 1 1/2 inch of gap on the top from both sides of the rack. Hacked it with tape and bubble wrap until I cut out a few of the metal pieces I need with some shears.
Thank you.