I Have Proof You Should NOT Buy Expensive Air Filters
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Thank you all very much for listening and thank you in advance if you find it in your heart to send our boy a letter in military school. Here is the address. timestamp 12:25 to see what I'm talking about
Att: Cadet Cornett, Platoon 2
C/O FLYCA
5629 State Road 16 West, Bldg 3800
Starke, Florida 32091
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HVAC guy here. Get a manometer and test your total static pressure for your ducted system. It's crucially important that you dont restrict airflow too much. The total static pressure on a ducted system should always be under 0.50 total Static in inches of water column! Half the system replacements I do require us to install a 2nd return air duct and grill. Ductwork sizing and filters are extremely important!!
I will be writing him a letter tomorrow. Proud of him and proud of you!
HVAC guy here. I ran some numbers and with four 16x20" filters that's sized for about 1,600 Cubic Feet of air per Minute (CFM) with a filter in place. I'm sure your ductless unit is only moving 400 to 900 CFM's. You are good! I would still stick with basic filters that are not as restrictive.
Awesome thank you so much. Good to know.
@@AGlimpseInside: Going with the MERV 8 filters are you worried at all about fine dust being pushed back through your AC unit into your environment? Or do you have a separate air scrubber?
If you don’t, maybe a MERV 13 scrubber feeding into your AC unit? In theory, as long as you’re pushing enough air to the AC unit, you’ll have no airflow concerns. And maybe a diverter for the times when you don’t need the AC.
Letter written and sent my brother. I appreciate what your son is doing. 🫡🇺🇸
God Bless you and the family. Reach out if you need anything. 🙏🏼❤️✝️❤️🙏🏼
Never be ashamed of showing emotion. You love your step-son and your emotion shows it. I am proud of you and your son. I will gladly write a letter.
HVAC Engineer here: 1. Higher MERV filters are more restrictive because the materials have a "tighter weave" so that they can stop smaller particles. The restriction should be higher, or they wouldn't be working. You don't need the tight weave in a wood shop, so go with lower MERV filters. 2. Home air handlers are meant to draw/blow air though ductwork. They have much larger motors and can push against more restrictions. When they are tested, the air filter is assumed to be .08" static drop through the filter. This unit is ductless, so it has a smaller blower motor, therefore it is less able to draw through filters (one of the reasons they are cheaper). 3. The reason you care about the loss of airflow is because it impacts the performance of the A/C. First, lower airflow does lower capacity (i.e. less cooling). But more importantly, if the airflow is low enough it will cause the coil to freeze up. This causes a whole host of issues ranging from damaging the fins, no cooling, no airflow, and damaging the compressor (slugging). 4. Last thing is that you tested all new filters, but even the low static filters will get more restrictive as they get dirty. The "dirt" clings to the fibers and reduces the spacing in the weave of the filter. This effectively makes it more restrictive and actually improves the air cleaning.
Great vid, as always Chris. Letter ready for the mail tomorrow. Happy to help.
Just Found ya, will follow..
I went through the same with my step son. He also enlisted but into the army, and at a little bit later age. But brother I'll tell ya, the pride I had in him when he came home from AIT and watching him walk down the walkway from the plane,,, Yeah I started crying! He had completely changed and it showed!!! He's doin a great thing even if he only spends a little while in.💪💪
Thank you for the information on your filter box by the way!!!
Letter will be mailed out tomorrow! Good informational video and collaboration and humor with Jay Bates. I started watching him when he was working out of the empty apartment.
Happy to send a card/letter of support to the young man Chris. If we judge our parenting by the actions of our children, you've done a great job with this one. His recognition of self and taking on the challenge of military life to better himself is surprisingly mature for a 16 year old. You and your wife should be proud.
Oh, and good video 😉🙂👍
Thank you so much Greg. I appreciate that brother. You’re always so kind and thoughtful. It means a lot to me buddy.
no, the poor kid succumbed to propaganda. fighting corporate wars is not a noble undertaking.
@@DieselRamcharger you took the words right out of my mouth. There is a reason they have the flyovers and the like at just about every major sporting event. The sad part is that most don't realize how many horrible things our country does for a handful of oligarchs. The icing on the cake for them is that the working class pays for and fights THEIR wars.
Hello Chris,
I feel you. I have a son that went to a similar program at the same age ,it was a great thing for him. He is now had over 12 years active duty Army and is doing great. I couldn’t be more proud.
Thank you for sharing.
Done. I watched your video this evening, subscribed and worte Cornett a letter of encouragement.
I just wrote a letter and will drop it off at the post office on my way home today!
As an employee of Clay County Schools, I've worked closely with several of the people at FLYCA over the years, and it's a great program. Best of luck to your boy!
Thanks for the info I’m definitely building one in my shop. And great news for your son I love my time in the military he will come back a man.
My girls, 6 & 9 are running up stairs now to make cards!
Will be the first letter I’ve written in a loonnngggg time. Also I’ve been looking around while you video and I don’t see a filter cart like Jay’s. I’m sure that helps tremendously in keeping his ac clean. Something to consider. Keep the great videos coming.
Good on you for the testing, even better for your Son for being strong! Good Job.
Thank you very much
Great video, Chris... as always. And - I'll be making sure that your stepson get a letter from north of the border! ❤
Please, never apologize for showing your emotions. It tells us how much you care. Rock on, brother.
Thank you for all the research and work you put in to make this video. I will find great value in it when I put in a mini split in my next shop.
As far as your son, I know exactly how you feel about the frustrations with teenage boys. I have a 21 year old son who still lives at home and acts like he is 16🤦♂️ I would be unbelievably proud if he made the choice yours did at that age. Don’t get me wrong, I am still proud of him in other areas, but as a military retiree, that would have got me good. I took a screenshot of his address and will definitely send him something.
It's encouraging to see a family on the other side of this. We're in the thick of it with our oldest (and only) 16 yr old son. he's in rehab right now.
You obviously love your boy! I remember fondly going to Admiral Farragut Academy for an NJROTC summer bootcamp, and still has an influence in what I do. I'll get him a postcard from the US Space and Rocket Center. About the mini-split, good on you for checking and testing. I'm about to build the same type of box for my workshop.
I'll be happy to send some words of encouragement. It's awesome that he made a decision at his young age to straighten up. I didn't, and I regret it more than anyone will know. Keep up the great work and I applaud you for reaching out when you need or want help.
Thank you for your honesty, Gary. I really appreciate it as eventually I will probably go back and read these comments and I think seeing other people stories is going to do a lot of good. Thank you again for your response and your vote of confidence.
Great video(s). Letter going out today!
From one step dad to another, is a tough job, nothing wrong with being proud. Taking that first step is always the hardest. He's on his way to become leader of his generation. Letter will go out tomorrow. My daughter calls me BD, Bonus Dad. Love the videos and all you do!
Congratulations to your family!
Thank you for sharing about your family 😊 and thank you for sharing about filters that are restricting air flow. I’m a HVAC guy and the fancy 1” filters are a pain in the back side for a lot of homeowners who think they’re doing good for their units
Love a dad that is willing to show how he feels about his son. So many props to you and your son! This is what a real man looks like! Love is the best way to be a great father!!! 👍🤟
Chris, glad to send some encouragement to your son. As a Vietnam Era Navy Vet, I get it. Military was the best thing for me! Chin up man, it’s all good.
Loving the outtakes 😂 best of luck to your son a massive change to undertake. rightly so you should be proud, discipline will make him a man that can achieve the impossible. Go forth and conquer young cadet 👍🏻😎
Awesome glad you enjoyed. Thank you again for the kind words.
This was a great video. I have to look at doing something for my Modine HOtdog space heater. So thank you so very much. All of God's Guidance and Blessings to him.
I'm really happy for your son's decision. I've mentored 2 kids through MYCA here in Montana. It's a great program. I'll definitely send a postcard his way.
Thank you so much Tim. I really appreciate it. I know he will do.
No shame bro..my kids do that to me too. Keep up the great work.
ALWAYS BE PROUD OF YOUR KIDS. EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE YOU SHOULD NOT. SHOW THEM LOVE ALWAYS. IT NEVER COMES BACK VOID.!!!
Done & done! I did 20 in the AF, snail mail was always a welcome treat. From the chicken scratch the eloquent sonnets; made no difference. It is truly a lost form of communication - it's a tactile 'stop & smell the roses'..
The YT algorithm just recommended you to me today. This is the second video I've watched. I stopped with a minute and a half left to send your son a letter. I just finished putting it in the envelope and will put it in the mailbox as soon as I finish typing this. I was a troubled teen that butted heads with my step-father (and the law) a lot. You've earned a new subscriber and your son has earned a new fan as well. I hope he writes back cause I've never had a pen pal, lol.
By the way, I think YT is spying on me because I rolled out my portable air conditioner into my shop for the first time this year and the stupid thing isn't cooling. I've been thinking about a mini split system for a while and always worried that the sawdust would destroy it. Now I can put that fear to rest, so thanks!
Welcome aboard brother. Thank you so much for this means the world. Thanks for being along for the ride and you have no idea how much you taking the time to send a letter means to us. Much respect. See you on the next one.
Hey Chris. My son attended Florida Air Academy. It was the best thing ever. So glad to hear your son is doing well. :)
Increase the surface area of the filter medium and that will let more air flow through. You can accomplish that with thicker filters or add another bank of filters above the one you have already….just create openings between the existing filter box and another one.
I think he has already passed the point of diminishing returns with respect to gaining more flow with a higher filter area. From looking at the set up, even if using lab-quality and calibrated measuring devices, I doubt you could detect any difference between the flow using a set up with only two or three filters from one that uses 20.
I agree, they filter whole houses with just one of the filters he's using. Granted, a house doesn't have the density of dust, but with close monitoring his filtration is adequate.
A humbled man has true emotions. you my fellow Floridian are a unbelievably humble and genuine man. God bless you and your family.
@@3frogltd987 The difference is this system is designed for much higher static pressure at the fan. The pressure loss equates to loss of air flow across the coils, which reduces performance and lifespan. I think as long as he isn't Icing up his coils and they are not getting too hot in heating mode he should be fine though, but I'm not a mechanical engineer so that's just my opinion.
Everyone seems to be missing the point: the filtration is to keep the machine working not to keep an asthmatic alive. Go with the low merv rating which will keep all the gunk out of the flow, and allow the volumetric flow rate to be at a higher level.
Never apology's for emotions when it comes to family. Best of luck to him, your family, and you!!!!
Hi Chris, you have really shown how very proud you and your wife are of your step son, if I get time I will try and write a letter, but I will not guarantee that, but please pass onto your step son my congratulations, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia 👍👍👍👍
Hey Chris, thicker filters will increase surface area of the filter medium and will allow more air through. If I use fine filters I also put a lower filter in front of it to catch larger particles and prolong the life of the expensive filter. And of course as they catch particles they will start to restrict more air anyway. HVAC guys please make note woodworks are dealing with dusty environments in enclosed space with particles down to pm0.1, so filtration is usually sought after. But for woodworkers, mini splits are not designed for that type of filtration. My solution has been a separate canister filter with its own fan to run while I work, and filtration to protect the ductless system which is there to keep my shop comfortable.
I also use the two stage filter set up. The 1st filter is a washable type. The fine filters last so much longer like you said.
I caught this video late, so too late to send letter to your son. My son graduated from MS youth challenge as we were in the process of moving to FL. I am proud of my son’s decision to take the challenge as you are with your son. It was difficult for him, but he made it and we are working on the military entrance process now. I retired from USAF and I hope our sons are able to experience military life as well. Please wish your son well for me.
Chris, I will definitely write your son. I have three step-children and know the challenges you describe. Glad to see that turning point in your family. My step-children are much older now and age does make a difference. Happy for you!
Thank you Ted we really appreciate it
I will be happy to send a letter to your dear son. I haven’t sent letters of encouragement since my own kids were in Boot Camp
Thank you so much we appreciate it
Another great video Chris as always love your enthusiasm you show in all your videos and that you always put your heart in everything you do and it shows and today you showed that so truly with the love for your son and asking for letters of support. I will Gt one sent off to him this week. God bless you and your family
Thank you Jim I appreciate it more than you know, brother. Hope you have a great week.
@@AGlimpseInside your very welcome Chris love supporting people like yourself who puts their heart and soul into what they are doing and you show it in every video you post thank you for what you do my friend. Question was going to order some 90% alignment blocks was wondering do they come with one small and one large as a set ? And do you have stickers also?
@@jimrosson6702 no they are two of the exact same size I used to make a smaller version, but they just died off. People weren’t buying them. And again thank you so much for this. I do have stickers in I’m starting to include them with the orders. So you’ll get a sheet of six of them with your order if and when you place it. As always thanks again and no pressure.
@@AGlimpseInside very cool thank you so much for the info I will be placing an order today
@@jimrosson6702 thank you so much Jim greatly appreciated
I hope your son did exceptionally well in military school! I’d write, but this video is ~4 yrs old which makes me believe your step-son is no longer in military school. You’re blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Also, I love your word working videos!
Project farm has some good filter testing and air flow videos, the best one was the Filtrate 1500 that have like 3x the pleats that the common filter has. The small pleats allow alot of air flow, but still catch good. I have been using the 1500s for years and its the only filter that will not freeze up my inside unit over time. Highly recommend.
Hi bro, I am so up to write a letter to sprogg no1. I did 22 years in the mob. It's a great life if it's for him. Got you covered.
Thank you so much Buddy I appreciate it
Just wanted to let you know that he will be receiving a letter from an active duty Marine Chief Warrant Officer 4 and founder/executive director of a nonprofit working to end veteran homelessness.
Love the care you have and the ability to see the opportunity he has before him to learn who he really is and what it means to be a part of a team and a contributing member of society.
Semper Fidelis
One other thing to check, is the temperature of the motor. Check it without the filters and with the filters. If there is too much resistance and the motor is heating up, than can create cause issues. I was creating a box fan filter and found if I used a 2” filter MRV 10, the air did slow a little, but the temperature of the motor did not increase but a couple of degrees.
Thanks for the real-world test. This is all I use.
You got it Bill. Good to hear from you, sir.
I used to live in the Phoenix area and the sir con techs I talked to said to use those cheap green filters on your home ac because they didn't make the equipment work harder like the other filters do!!! Hope your dust collector system is as good as it can be!!! Good luck with your stepson!!!
You really don't need a "Prefilter" if you just practice basic dust collection at the source and clean the OEM filters regularly. Get a Jet 1000 CFM Air Filtration System, or any brand you prefer, and install it to clean your shop air.
All the best, Chuck.
Just a Landlord here and while I’ve had a lot of hvacs to replace over the years and I may not be an expert, I’m knowledgeable enough to know if your getting thrown bs or not.
You’re right that your home has a reduction in air flow that no layman talks about, but the system is designed to be that way.
Your mini split however, is not designed to have an additional 22% reduction or even a 10% in ideal conditions (these things are made for apartments more than workshops). However if it was properly sized for the work area (which I’m pretty sure you covered when it was installed), it’s more than powerful enough and a much better setup than not having the protection like before.
Might I suggest still blowing out or even changing the Mrv 8 filters every 3 months (or at a regular frequency depending on the dust in your shop).
Anyway, good video - and I’ll see if I can write tomorrow. I’m a vet myself and those letters are powerful when they come…..
Hey, Chris! Thanks for another great video! I wrote Cadet Cornett a letter, and it will be on the snail's back soon 🐌 😂 I offered him, with your permission and Academy regulations of course, a care package from me and my family. I never got one at Boot Camp, but I remember the effect it had on the guys that did. And I thought it would fun to send one to him!! Nothing homemade, just store bought stuff. If you'd like, I'd be happy to email the letter to you as well. I know we live in a crazy world and I have 6 kids of my own. They are the center of our Dad universe whether they believe it or not. Anyway, whatever y'all decide works for us. At least he'll get a letter. God bless!
Wow, thank you Joey. Man, that would be awesome.. and of course, if you don’t mind forwarding it over here, that would be great
I would love to show his mother that kind of stuff coming his way
Aglimpseinsideprojects@gmail.com
Email sent. Thanks again for EVERYTHING your videos are!
I design large commercial HVAC systems including some buildings that contain wood shops. I’ll echo what I’ve seen in some other comments. A thicker filer 2”, 4”, 5” will give you more surface area and reduce the pressure drop though the filter. For some reason residential products don’t document the pressure drop, but this is well documented for filters that are sold commercially. I would also mention that MERV 8 is often viewed as a pre-filter, strictly to keep cooling coils clean (from generally clean spaces, not wood shops). As indoor air quality has become a focus for indoor environments, MERV 13 filters are no longer just considered ‘hospital grade.’ It is quickly becoming best practice for most commercial buildings (schools, office buildings etc.). All of that said whatever filter you settle on for your split system, when dealing with the small particles of dust in a workshop no home filter is a sufficient substitute for dust collection, dust masks, and/or recirculating units with very high end filters (think HEPA filters) for protecting lungs of woodworkers. Thanks for all of the great content you share! I wish you continued success in all of your endeavors.
Great job explaining the process. To get a cumulative sum of the supply air. Maybe a funnel to direct all the air through your manometer. We use a flow hood to get these readings. Either way nice job dude!
Also, thank you for sharing some of your personal life. Glad he is on a better path.
Man, thank you for this is someone in the business I appreciate you giving my green acres approach the nod. Can’t tell you how much that means bro thank you.
Fantastic testing, Chris! Thanks! 😃
I'm definitely going to make something like that for my shop as well... But perhaps add 2 more on the sides... Who knows.
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thank you brother always great to hear from you. Take care you say safe as well.
really interesting video, thanks. Plz don't forget that airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute. In other words the airspeed times de area; Not only the air speed. Anyway, Congrats with your stepson! Good luck!
Another way to test the load on the Minisplit, use an inductive tester on one of the 110v legs in the breaker panel and see what the load difference is with the filters on/off. That extra load will tell you how much harder the motor is having to work and how much extra electricity it must use to achieve the same cooling needs.
The problem with this approach is that with reduced airflow the blower fan uses less current and if there is less airflow across the inside coil then the inverter driven compressor will pull less current as well to prevent coil freeze up. Keeping the static pressure difference within the specs of the manufacturer is the best course of evaluation and action.
@@adamliskeyes that’s the point of the test. To what the difference is with/and without the filters.
If you’re concerned about manufacturers specs, how far out will they be with a bunch of shop dust clogging them up? I would believe far better with a much greater filter intake than nothing.
@@WoodUCreate Without a doubt a bigger filter setup is better as it reduces the filter restriction, but you noted there would be an extra load on the mini split because of the restricted airflow. I was simply noting that this is not the case since restricted airflow would reduce power consumption by both the fan and the inverter driven compressor since there is a electronically controlled expansion valve and a computer controlling the system.
As for manufacturer specs, typically they publish acceptable ranges for various perimeters, so have you pick from pressure/suction lines temps, static pressure differences, coil temp, output air temp, calculated CFM, etc. All of which would aid in determining if the mini split is still operating within it designed perimeters.
Honestly, the easiest and quickest way to determine if everything is good is to measure air outlet temp with OEM filter and then with the filter box and as long as they are close and not near coil freeze up temps I would call it good.
I feel u my guy.. being a father of 4 is not easy..im a combat vet and believe me military training will help him a lot..🍪
Love your spectacles, made you look like a minion! LOL
I sent my son to an "alternative school" which was also a miltary boarding school on fort knox so he could catch up in his school work and it improved his demeaner. It was also a challenge academy similar to the one your boy went to. I completely understand and as a military man myself, the structure helps strong willed children.
I look like that when I’m trying to get the right words out on camera too 😂
Congrats on your step-son! I'm sure it will be a great move for him.
Chris, like some have noted an ambient filter should be used along with the filters on the minisplit. Jay has one that he built that he uses along with his setup.
By the way Dad, Keep up what you are doing. It sounds like things are coming around.
When we bought our first house, i did what anyone would do, added the best filter possible. After that i could audibly hear the suction from the restricted aiflow. I also noticed that the AC wasn't cooling the house as well as it had. Since then i have replaced the super filters with pretty much the cheapest ones i could find. Still filter out alot of crap, but airflow is much better and less noise.
Awesome video
I need to box my Mr Cool in. It’s been in my todo list. As for your son, I’d be happy to help him out. Need to make it special.
Hey Chris, Marine wife and now Mom of a Marine here. My son just recently had the same thing happen while in USMC Boot camp! Already wrote and have the first of many letters to your son! It was heartbreaking to hear no one wrote my son despite the many who claimed they would. Luckily, I was a seasoned wife and Hubby informed him I didn't write letters, I wrote books. Went easy on your Cadet with a 3 pager, for now...
Something to consider; Jay made his box to accommodate 20" x 20" filters. Your box fits 16" x 20" filters. That leaves you 25% less surface area to draw the air through. That is only the surface area, now consider the volume of air in the boxes. Assuming the same depth, he has 25% more volume. Also, don't for get Jay tested the electricity draw with and without the filters as well. Enjoy the videos!
Oh yeah for sure I know he has three units, but his shop is considerably larger than mine. Quite frankly, I made my 4 inches shorter because my plywood walls only go up so far. So I figured it would be OK. I know time will tell. Thanks for being involved here. I appreciate the kind words about the videos.
Make it a push - pull system by installing a fan behind the filters sucking air in.
Was thinking similarly. Outer box with a intake fan feeding an inner box above the AC.
Getting one more mile with different filters is enough in the right direction. The motor that would be working harder is likely chosen for its values/price and not a specific load on it. It can likely handle extra for years without any strain.
Cool idea, but mini-splits are not made for much restriction. Normal house ducted HVAC blowers are rated to operate to up to 1" of water (a pressure rating), which is a pretty restrictive, fairly clogged filter, but I'd say a 20% restriction isn't going to hurt anything in either case. The danger is that the coils ice up and then airflow is restricted further and eventually the compressor dies from working very hard year after year and in extreme cases it may even get liquid refrigerant back from the inside evaporator since the coils are iced and no cooling is happening there. Mini splits use weak fans to save energy. I'd say if you have this much sawdust in the air what you really need is an air cleaner with a good filter. This will save your lungs and the AC.
Be happy his frinds dont send him letters they might be why he was like that. You know your true frinds when you need something.
Really it better to have 1 true frind then many who claim they are.
Leter sent!
What about washables in the shop? Are they a lot more expensive. Thanks for the advise because I'm getting ready to do a mini split. I am going to try a write him because I went to a military academy when I was still in school and after I graduated HS I enlisted in the US Coast Guard. now as a father my son enlisted at 18 and then went to the US Naval Acadeny for 4 years and has been in the Navy 10 years now as a 1st Lieutenant. Next year he may end up being a agent for the government. Stand proud as you should be.
The whole idea was to protect the unit as opposed to clean the air quality in your shop so I would just check how dirty the fan gets.
So I would think taking a look your shop AQI with the various filters to see if the reduction is in flow is with it.
It would be interesting to see the flow difference with the FPR12 filters without the screen filters on the unit. Thanks for the video!
This was my question - what's the reduction of the designed screen filters? That would be a safe percentage reduction to aim for - but to be clear, I would not leave those screen filters in after adding the big filters.
maybe you could try and do some of the same solutions we do for our vacuums where the air flow goes through cyclone, or any number of things really, while not restricting the air flow but it also traps the dust.
with 2" filters the extra thickness nearly doubles the surface area so the air doesn't have to move as fast through the media to achieve the same air volume. This also means the air won't be able to push finer particles through the media as easily making a 2" filter more efficient even with lower merv ratings. @KPHVAC is definitely right you've got enough area on those filters...the mesh filter is defiantly worse than what you've built.
If your unit is variable speed, as most are these days, the fan will have some overhead to ramp up as the filter gets dirty...the speed will vary to maintain the proper airflow based on coil temp in cool or heat. You can test your set-up by blocking the filters until you see the airflow drop off, it will be a slow process as there will be some lag before the coil temp changes and the logic decides to adjust the fan speed but you'll get an idea of how dirty they can get before you have issues.
Awesome. When I have to re-order definitely going think. I’m speaking this. My wife heard what I said and literally under her breath says “that’s what she said” she thinks she’s funny and she’s right.
Redesign the filter box to incorporate a fan to pull air through the filters.
This is actually pretty genius. Thank you bro.
My AC man said to use the cheap filters and change them regularly. Best for AIR FLOW! Best air flow is a MUST.
That won't work with lots of fine dust that will go right through the super cheapo filters, but agree the high Merv filters are not a good plan in this instance.
Great video. I'm thinking of doing this when I install one. I am thinking of using either the 2 or 4 inch thick filters as they have 2 to 5 times the pours as a 1 inch. Thoughts?
I came up with this idea based on how big commercial dust collectors are designed with huge pleats to maximize surface area.
I find this whole thing super interesting. I currently work as an HVAC engineer and following COVID, we had a ton of people asking us about increasing filtration. It's a very interesting thing to try to explain to people why they can't just put a crazy high MERV rating filter in their existing system as it's just simply not set up to have the static pressure to pull the air through that filter. I often would try to explain it to people by having them try to imagine holding a piece of gauze up to their face and trying to breathe through it vs trying to do the same thing with a piece of t-shirt fabric. It's obviously going to be a lot more difficult to do with a t-shirt type material. That being said, simply having a reduction in air speed doesn't directly correlate with a reduction in air flow. Think of like an air compressor vs a leaf blower. They could potentially both be delivering the same volume of air in CFM, but if they are both delivering that same volume, the air compressor is going to be delivering it at a much higher speed than the leaf blower would. While you did see a reduction in air speed, that wouldn't definitively tell you that your unit is delivering less CFM with different filters. I would probably continue with what you did of doing a filter somewhere around the MERV 8 level as I think it would likely be a nice happy medium.
The other thing to consider with more expensive finer filters is that they need to be replaced MORE OFTEN. I often find a lot of people don't think this is the case since they often feel that when they spend more on something, they expect it to last longer, like, for instance, a pair of shoes. If I pay $200 for a nice pair of running shoes, I expect them to last longer than ones that I buy for $20 from Walmart. With filters, when you buy the more expensive ones, their finer "mesh" catches more particulates and in turn clogs up faster, needing to be replaced sooner.
Because you brought up COVID-19, maybe a better analogy besides gauze and t-shirt would be wearing a mask vs not wearing a mask. Which is easier to breathe. I think more people would have an instant understanding.
Could not agree more, Retired Sheet Metal worker here, and with so much of what I see folks here in UA-cam land do is try to solve their own problems with some crazy type of Filter, but what they all are lacking is the Exhaust Air part of the equation! An important factor in dust mitigation is where your bag house AKA the exhaust filter is located, I say this because experience in installing these systems in commercial application's Be it from Steel Mills to Food processing plants the air scrubbed out of the area has never been returned to the space. that part of the system is typically external to the building.
Then there are total Exhaust air requirements, depending on the size of your space and the turnover, you can size the fan accordingly, in a manufacturing environment IE: a wood shop I believe 20% is a safe number for exhaust air.
Oh yeah, those split systems are very sensitive to dirt loads and air flow across the coil, slow it down and you're going to get a block of ice up there, those things were never intended to run in that environment, in a I.T. or Server room sure a wood shop oh hell no! other than that great content.
You need to increase the “cloth area” of your current filter panels. At the moment you have panels which are 16” wide x 20”long with 1” pleats so try using say 3” deep pleats ie, 16x20x3 and that will increase your cloth area by 300% thereby reducing the pressure resistance the unit is experiencing which should improve the air flow
Oh that’s a pretty good idea. Definitely going to look into that. Thank you very much.
I'm actually trying 4 inch filters on my simple box fan air filter. I'll be sure and let you know if I find a difference. Completely different application I know, but should at least give an idea...
I'm a fan of thicker filters for HVAC systems, but you'll likely be better off adding 4 more 1" filters than using thicker ones. Both in air flow and cost effectiveness. This usually isn't an option on a central HVAC system, which is why we go with thicker filters to reduce static pressure in that scenario.
Don't worry about getting emotional- enjoy your proud dad moments!
As a 25 year veteran of the hvac trade. Use good disposable filter for the house also. Most homes actually do not have enough return. Yours looks better than many I have seen. Your filter box should help a bunch. Or you can go back to the thin filters and clean them daily, when you are making dust. Spaces with very little dust like a server room in a bank will clog those thin filters in 3 months to the point that there is a freeze up issue.
Just thinking outside the box (well inside the box in this case) how much of an effect would placeing a small fan behind your filters have?. Surely this would pull extra air into the system and take some of the load off your main unit. Congrats to your step son for taking the initiative to get his life back on the right track. Hope everything works out well for him.
Thank you so much. You know this idea has been suggested a few times here and I never even thought about it. Looks like you guys have great minds and you’ll think alike. I wonder what type of slimline fan I could actually get.
My job is to test air filters to determine the MERV rating. A MERV 13 is NOT medical grade. As others have stated, air flow is measured in cfm, not mph and the static pressure drop using a manometer is a very important measurement. In the home, I don't use anything less than a MERV 13. Also, some filters will get more efficient as they get dirty while others will become less efficient. In the shop, can only assume you are trying to protect your mini split and not your lung health, so an 8 is adequate. Wear an RZ Mask whenever you're using your dust collector to protect your lungs.
I see good to know. So I did the redneck version. Lol. Either way interesting to hear about how some filters are more efficient the more they get clogged. I guess that makes some sense. I guess assuming that a nerve 13 that can block, germs and smoke and allergens and even bacteria would be considered “Medical” but I guess not. Freudian slip I suppose.
This is a good reply... If you want to do a more relevant set of testing, getting a manometer and measuring pressure drop of the system is something we can compare to system specs, rather than just guessing based on air speed.
I plan to add a system very similar to this to my upcoming new shop, and would love to see the results with new and used for a while Merv 8 or so filters.
You can also improve airflow by increasing the number of filters (making a bigger box)
Chris - it's OK to be emotional. It truly shows how deeply you love your children. You have a right to be proud, scared and worried all at the same time. Our children are the greatest gifts but they don't come without challenges. I have two siblings (incarcerated) that never figured out, even after 60 years, what your son seems to have figured out at 15. I'm also the father of a deceased son and learned that it's OK if I cry in public. I've learned over time, that every time I try to restrain those emotions, I just pay for it later at a less opportune time. Embrace those emotions and let the world know you are a kind and loving soul.
Great idea. I wonder what would happen if you took the outer 2 boxes off and just kept the 2 above the mini split. 🤔🤔
If you. Want to improve it. Install a bank of filters on the top of the box as well. Don’t use the filters with built in carbon. Use replaceable carbon filters. I Velcro them on. It will make the merv filters last so much longer. And usually you can just pop off the carbon filters and shop vac them. I can’t do with out the carbon because it just removes all odors. You can even build mini 10 inch ones with a fan for bedroom’s completely removes allergies and hay fever.
Letter on its way from a British guy with similar early military experiences at 15 years old that ended in 25 years of service 😊
Your old unit had two failures, one because the coils were clogged and it also restricted air flow. I don’t remember if you said the fan quit or not. I am not an HVAC tech, but have have extensive work with HVAC techs. One thing they told me for home, if I changed my filters to a higher rated filter, to notify them so they can make adjustments to handle the restricted flow.
I have a HVAC buddy who has been in the biz for 30 years. He advised me not to buy expensive air filters. He told me to buy the inexpensive fiberglass filters, the ones that come in a 3 pack, and change them often. Like every 3 months
Cheap fiberglass filters won't do almost anything in this application. Also, if using those dead cat catchers, you should replace them monthly, not even close to 3 months span.
I agree that most people shouldn't use high Merv filters, but cheap fiberglass filters are only an excuse for HVAC people to not properly fix an inadequate return air ducting system.
You said that you are "not doing any science here" but you actually are. You just did an experiment on air flow and filter type. That is science!😄😄😄