Thanks so much, been listening to the poping for 9 yrs. My contractor told me to change my filters more often was my only option other than shiming or taping them up.
You want to keep your air velocity through the filter media as low as possible per square inch, the more the filter blocks up or the faster the fan cycles, the faster the air velocity becomes through the filter in the easiest places it can go, bare in mind the air in your house on the positive side of the fan needs a decent path back to the return, that can involve relief ducts or trimming doors, this is where youll notice doors pulling into the negative pressure or whistling.. the system when installed should have been balanced, so dont go adjusting the outlets should be mentioned aswell. You need that return filter to be sealed and working right, since its basically a vacuum cleaner where all the stuff that gets past goes straight to the units coil, and if you want to lose your coils efficiency by clogging that up with dust which in cooling turns to mud, youll learn how expensive these systems can be to repair pretty quickly, not to mention that you will run the unit for longer and you may never get to the programmed temperature.
I have this issue and I have been trying to find a video that relates to this and this is the first one that I saw as I'm getting ready to add a second side grill for this exact reason awesome thank you for answering my questions
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists I have looked and they do at least make 2 inch ones, hard to find anon. Can cost $150 for those, order online. You can also spend $20 and an hour of time modifying the existing 1in. grille by adding ceiling grid wall molding to the grille. Its cheap thin L channel metal that you can screw to your grille. Remove grille, at the back end cut each corner, bend the existing "shelf" upward then bolt on the molding., boom you can hold a 2 inch thick filter. They sell the molding at Lowes. And remember, 1 inch filter thickness nominal is actually .75in, 2 inch is 1.75in. Sorry for the blog post, but 4 and 5 inch return grilles would be the best move. I did see one online once, but had zero idea how to order it.
@@REALBanannaman In my current home, in 2019 when the HVAC system was replaced I requested a 5" filter cabinet that takes Lennox X8310 filters which I replace yearly. In the home we'll be moving into in 2 years there are no returns anywhere except the wall right below the furnace, which has a large 1" wall mount filter grille, which I find to be too thin after being spoiled with the 5" filter. Also in this home there are airflow vents in the wall above every door in the home (except for the bathrooms) for return air, so essentially all of the return air gets drawn to the single location. Different style for sure, I'm not sure why they did it like that, but all of the supply air has insulated duct in the attic with a traditional up-flow 3.5 ton Lennox heat pump.
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists Yes, those are called jumper ducts. I am not a fan of those as the rooms transmit sound easily, but it helps the return airflow. It is much better to have a return and a supply in each room. We have the same setup as the house you are moving into. The air handler pulls from the ceiling below (one central return) Cost saving trick in the HVAC world. On the upside, less duct work to fail or develop leaks. With some minor level fabrication you can definitely get this done and I highly recommend the upgrade. Less noise, longer filter life. 2 inch filters cost about 25% more yet last use 2-3x longer.
@@REALBanannaman I understand what your theory is using the ceiling tile brackets for a drop ceiling and modifying the current filter enclosure. I'd probably rivet the L brackets on for a "smoother finish." I still wouldn't mind something thicker than 2". 4" or 5" would be great, but I guess a 100% increase from 1" to 2" is a great start. The home we're moving to with the "jumper ducts" is a 2,100 square foot ranch with quite a lot of vaulted ceilings which is great. Your home with jumper ducts is a two-story, tri-level, or quad-level I assume? Thanks for the suggestion! By the way I am guessing that's why they didn't run return ducts to each room as with multiple vaulted ceilings, space was tight as it was for running supply ducting let alone supply AND return ductwork, essentially twice as much!
Thank you for this video!! I had to turn the heat off to watch television it was so loud. New system too, I hope I didn't ruin my system overworking it. Much appreciated information.
Great video! I've been trying to find a high flow air filter and feel like I'm not having any success. What brand makes the kind in your video that looks almost like a screen?
Interesting. I learned this too late - I was using a 'reusable/washable' filter and it sucked the media into the unit, I think that caused the rupture and leak of coolant. But it was 20 years old anyway. But now I manage the filters closely, and was getting concerned about restrictions. How often do you think replacement is needed? I check and don't use much so annually seems fine as that's what they used to say. But now they say quarterly or even monthly (I think the filter makers are following Jiffy Lube and the 'need ' for excessive changes).
I totally removed my grill and all the vent covers in my ceiling. No more restrictions for my AC. I am still using a MERV 12 filter, though. I assume having no grill will help facilitate even greater airflow through just one restrictive barrier (i.e., the filter) instead of two (i.e., the grill and the filter). If you ever read this, please let me know.
I recently switched my brand of filter (due to all the supply shortages, my usual brand was sold out). As soon as I changed it, the return plenum started "oil canning" every time the blower would start and stop, just one loud bang as the plenum contracted and then released from the pressure. My filter was absolutely slammed against the return exit and whistling to high heaven. Needless to say, I'm buying a new filter tomorrow.
I have a filter spot on my handler and a return vent that is in my house near my thermostat. I’ve read that I should have a filter at both places. Right now I only have one at the air return but it is super loud when it turns on.
The house we bought has three returns with filters at each return. The air handler itself has a place to put a filter. Is it better to have the filters at the returns, is it better to just have a single filter at the air handler or does it not really matter? I question if all the filters add restriction, making the return more inefficient (they appear sized right for 3 ton system, 2 - 12x24 and 1 - 12x12). Suction is strong, it'll suck the filter into place when I replace it but it doesn't collapse it. Thanks.
Great informative video, thank you. Would adding cold air returns increase airflow and return for a home with undersized return ductwork? My 1600 square foot home only has 2 cold air returns. I’m having a new American standard furnace and ac installed tomorrow and I’m having them add 3 returns and use 4 inch filter instead of the one inch filter to hopefully help improve air quality and the life of the equipment
Thanks for the video! Do you have any recommendations for renters? On a budget? I obviously can’t change the entire return or ductwork in a rental, and I don’t want to put a ton of money into something I don’t own. Located in Phoenix, ceiling unit, sucking in the filter, whistling. Thank you!!!
One question is it normal for a mobile home package ac units return to be noisy because I can actually hear the AC compressor through the return grille in addition to the airflow noise
Can I cut out some of the duct near the return in the basement and install a grill cover? I have a 16x26 return on the main floor and top floor, but they are very loud and filter has extremely strong suction.
Hi maybe you can help am installing a heatpump 60K BTU and i did duct work to second floor all flex duct its 4inch supply to 2 rooms and from 4inch i when 6inch to other room, we deleted the chimney and i was able to get a 4inch hose this is how i got the 4inch vent threw anyway on the first floor am doing everything 6inch supply but my Question is for the return shod i install it in the floor in the corner since the is a cut out already 14X14 i just need to remove the square wood floor or shod i install it on the wall first floor i can not put any returns on second floor because the chimney pipe is 6inch and i was able to put threw 4inch for supply air upstairs is new construction downstairs we are renovating at this time we have a 24K ductless heatpump we purchased it when we purchased this house since the house was unfinished and no heat 3200sq and know am installing new heatpump my question can i use a 12inch return from the basement it will be 8feet long or shod i install the return vent in the wall first floor the easy way would be the floor since the cut out is already right above the heatpump ?
What would cause a return to not have hardly any suction? I literally threw powder up while the air was on and it didn't even suck it in. I have a brand new home and the filters are 3 inch ones that are put in at the attic not the intake. I'm just curious what would cause that?
Your return could be disconnected and sucking part of the attic air or outside air mixed with your inside air, which would cause it to lose pressure. Have you had a blower door test done to measure the leakage?
Hi, Green ID. New furnace/air (split unit) install May 2022. House always smells like a chimney now even when HVAC is not running. I change filter (Merv 8) monthly. This month when changing filter, HVAC happened to kick on during the change. The filter slot DID NOT suck at the filter. With my old unit, I could not take the filter out if the HVAC was on, the suction wouldn't allow it. This new unit has NO suction at the filter. I can remove filter while HVAC is on. I have 6 returns. 1 return has MAJOR suction, 1 has NO suction, the other 4 are weak suction. I have return issues I think. What do you think?
Sounds like it, you should check for kinks or restrictions in the return lines if accessible. Good luck and give us a call if you are in the Phoenix area.
Under extreme conditions restrictions can burn up a blower motor and possibly a fuse. I would check the secondary effects of the airflow moving an exposed wire to ground inside the panel
Good question, and not necessarily. You need to check at your indoor air handler or furnace though and see if there is a filter rack at the indoor unit. If there is one, then no, you do not need a filter at the return vent. If there is not one, then yes, you will need a filter inside.
I have a question regarding the "fresh air return(?)" on my AC system - is there a better filter than a wad of mesh shoved up in there? With a vaulted ceiling, the return isn't exactly the easiest thing to get to but I feel like there's something better that could be in there. I'm referring to the approximately 5" opening next to the primary return (I'm in Tucson, btw).
My return just started doing this. We're in Phoenix as well. I've been using the same brand filters for 6 months now. Replace them every 2 months and they're not very dirty each time. But like I said it just recently started doing this. And my home has 2 returns. One in master bed and one at end of hallway next to living room/kitchen. Any idea why it's doing this now?
The return ducts you have may be kinked Joey. You may want them inspected and tested to make sure the airflow is not restricted because if it was installed poorly with lots of hard bends or pinched off, it will cause your filters to get sucked up
@@GreenintegrateddesignPages Thanks for the reply. Found out it was the filters being too restrictive. I switched them to the least restrictive filters I could find. It's been working perfect now. Except I can tell there's a lot more dust on everything now.
Joey M. Try a 3” HEPA filter with a 1” lip. You can find them online and they provide better filtration than the 1” pleated filters and don’t restrict the air as much because you get a larger surface area.
You have a large leak at the coil cabinet or in the ductwork that is causing the duct o loose pressure. An energy auditor will be able to measure the leakage and tell you what's going on
Thanks so much, been listening to the poping for 9 yrs. My contractor told me to change my filters more often was my only option other than shiming or taping them up.
You want to keep your air velocity through the filter media as low as possible per square inch, the more the filter blocks up or the faster the fan cycles, the faster the air velocity becomes through the filter in the easiest places it can go, bare in mind the air in your house on the positive side of the fan needs a decent path back to the return, that can involve relief ducts or trimming doors, this is where youll notice doors pulling into the negative pressure or whistling.. the system when installed should have been balanced, so dont go adjusting the outlets should be mentioned aswell. You need that return filter to be sealed and working right, since its basically a vacuum cleaner where all the stuff that gets past goes straight to the units coil, and if you want to lose your coils efficiency by clogging that up with dust which in cooling turns to mud, youll learn how expensive these systems can be to repair pretty quickly, not to mention that you will run the unit for longer and you may never get to the programmed temperature.
I have this issue and I have been trying to find a video that relates to this and this is the first one that I saw as I'm getting ready to add a second side grill for this exact reason awesome thank you for answering my questions
Get a 2 inch filter if your system has a 1 inch. Modify the enclosure. Less restrictive because thicker filters have more surface area
Do they make a 4" or 5" wall filter return grille to replace a 1" wall filter grille?
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists I have looked and they do at least make 2 inch ones, hard to find anon. Can cost $150 for those, order online. You can also spend $20 and an hour of time modifying the existing 1in. grille by adding ceiling grid wall molding to the grille. Its cheap thin L channel metal that you can screw to your grille. Remove grille, at the back end cut each corner, bend the existing "shelf" upward then bolt on the molding., boom you can hold a 2 inch thick filter. They sell the molding at Lowes. And remember, 1 inch filter thickness nominal is actually .75in, 2 inch is 1.75in.
Sorry for the blog post, but 4 and 5 inch return grilles would be the best move. I did see one online once, but had zero idea how to order it.
@@REALBanannaman In my current home, in 2019 when the HVAC system was replaced I requested a 5" filter cabinet that takes Lennox X8310 filters which I replace yearly. In the home we'll be moving into in 2 years there are no returns anywhere except the wall right below the furnace, which has a large 1" wall mount filter grille, which I find to be too thin after being spoiled with the 5" filter.
Also in this home there are airflow vents in the wall above every door in the home (except for the bathrooms) for return air, so essentially all of the return air gets drawn to the single location. Different style for sure, I'm not sure why they did it like that, but all of the supply air has insulated duct in the attic with a traditional up-flow 3.5 ton Lennox heat pump.
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists Yes, those are called jumper ducts. I am not a fan of those as the rooms transmit sound easily, but it helps the return airflow. It is much better to have a return and a supply in each room.
We have the same setup as the house you are moving into. The air handler pulls from the ceiling below (one central return) Cost saving trick in the HVAC world. On the upside, less duct work to fail or develop leaks. With some minor level fabrication you can definitely get this done and I highly recommend the upgrade. Less noise, longer filter life. 2 inch filters cost about 25% more yet last use 2-3x longer.
@@REALBanannaman I understand what your theory is using the ceiling tile brackets for a drop ceiling and modifying the current filter enclosure. I'd probably rivet the L brackets on for a "smoother finish." I still wouldn't mind something thicker than 2". 4" or 5" would be great, but I guess a 100% increase from 1" to 2" is a great start.
The home we're moving to with the "jumper ducts" is a 2,100 square foot ranch with quite a lot of vaulted ceilings which is great. Your home with jumper ducts is a two-story, tri-level, or quad-level I assume? Thanks for the suggestion! By the way I am guessing that's why they didn't run return ducts to each room as with multiple vaulted ceilings, space was tight as it was for running supply ducting let alone supply AND return ductwork, essentially twice as much!
Thank you for this video!! I had to turn the heat off to watch television it was so loud. New system too, I hope I didn't ruin my system overworking it. Much appreciated information.
Great video! I've been trying to find a high flow air filter and feel like I'm not having any success. What brand makes the kind in your video that looks almost like a screen?
I would also like to know!
Interesting. I learned this too late - I was using a 'reusable/washable' filter and it sucked the media into the unit, I think that caused the rupture and leak of coolant. But it was 20 years old anyway. But now I manage the filters closely, and was getting concerned about restrictions. How often do you think replacement is needed? I check and don't use much so annually seems fine as that's what they used to say. But now they say quarterly or even monthly (I think the filter makers are following Jiffy Lube and the 'need ' for excessive changes).
Thank you! I’ve been looking for this exact information.
I totally removed my grill and all the vent covers in my ceiling. No more restrictions for my AC. I am still using a MERV 12 filter, though. I assume having no grill will help facilitate even greater airflow through just one restrictive barrier (i.e., the filter) instead of two (i.e., the grill and the filter). If you ever read this, please let me know.
You are correct, I’ve also had success bending the louvers to be less at an angle and more 90 degrees in lowering noise and restrictions.
@@davidbyrnes8672 I appreciate your wisdom and expertise.
Thank you! So informative and clear
I recently switched my brand of filter (due to all the supply shortages, my usual brand was sold out). As soon as I changed it, the return plenum started "oil canning" every time the blower would start and stop, just one loud bang as the plenum contracted and then released from the pressure. My filter was absolutely slammed against the return exit and whistling to high heaven. Needless to say, I'm buying a new filter tomorrow.
Also try adding a new return
I have a filter spot on my handler and a return vent that is in my house near my thermostat. I’ve read that I should have a filter at both places. Right now I only have one at the air return but it is super loud when it turns on.
The house we bought has three returns with filters at each return. The air handler itself has a place to put a filter. Is it better to have the filters at the returns, is it better to just have a single filter at the air handler or does it not really matter? I question if all the filters add restriction, making the return more inefficient (they appear sized right for 3 ton system, 2 - 12x24 and 1 - 12x12). Suction is strong, it'll suck the filter into place when I replace it but it doesn't collapse it. Thanks.
Great informative video, thank you. Would adding cold air returns increase airflow and return for a home with undersized return ductwork? My 1600 square foot home only has 2 cold air returns. I’m having a new American standard furnace and ac installed tomorrow and I’m having them add 3 returns and use 4 inch filter instead of the one inch filter to hopefully help improve air quality and the life of the equipment
Yes, it would help!
@@GreenintegrateddesignPages awesome, thank you. I had it done and the amount of airflow and air quality is dramatically improved.
Thanks for the video! Do you have any recommendations for renters? On a budget? I obviously can’t change the entire return or ductwork in a rental, and I don’t want to put a ton of money into something I don’t own. Located in Phoenix, ceiling unit, sucking in the filter, whistling. Thank you!!!
Very educational. Thanks!
One question is it normal for a mobile home package ac units return to be noisy because I can actually hear the AC compressor through the return grille in addition to the airflow noise
Can I cut out some of the duct near the return in the basement and install a grill cover? I have a 16x26 return on the main floor and top floor, but they are very loud and filter has extremely strong suction.
Hi maybe you can help am installing a heatpump 60K BTU and i did duct work to second floor all flex duct its 4inch supply to 2 rooms and from 4inch i when 6inch to other room, we deleted the chimney and i was able to get a 4inch hose this is how i got the 4inch vent threw anyway on the first floor am doing everything 6inch supply but my Question is for the return shod i install it in the floor in the corner since the is a cut out already 14X14 i just need to remove the square wood floor or shod i install it on the wall first floor i can not put any returns on second floor because the chimney pipe is 6inch and i was able to put threw 4inch for supply air upstairs is new construction downstairs we are renovating at this time we have a 24K ductless heatpump we purchased it when we purchased this house since the house was unfinished and no heat 3200sq and know am installing new heatpump my question can i use a 12inch return from the basement it will be 8feet long or shod i install the return vent in the wall first floor the easy way would be the floor since the cut out is already right above the heatpump ?
What would cause a return to not have hardly any suction? I literally threw powder up while the air was on and it didn't even suck it in. I have a brand new home and the filters are 3 inch ones that are put in at the attic not the intake. I'm just curious what would cause that?
Your return could be disconnected and sucking part of the attic air or outside air mixed with your inside air, which would cause it to lose pressure. Have you had a blower door test done to measure the leakage?
How can we contact you?
Hi, Green ID. New furnace/air (split unit) install May 2022. House always smells like a chimney now even when HVAC is not running. I change filter (Merv 8) monthly. This month when changing filter, HVAC happened to kick on during the change. The filter slot DID NOT suck at the filter. With my old unit, I could not take the filter out if the HVAC was on, the suction wouldn't allow it. This new unit has NO suction at the filter. I can remove filter while HVAC is on. I have 6 returns. 1 return has MAJOR suction, 1 has NO suction, the other 4 are weak suction. I have return issues I think. What do you think?
Sounds like it, you should check for kinks or restrictions in the return lines if accessible. Good luck and give us a call if you are in the Phoenix area.
Would unit that is that has restricted the air flow burn fuses? Because it's working too hard?
Under extreme conditions restrictions can burn up a blower motor and possibly a fuse. I would check the secondary effects of the airflow moving an exposed wire to ground inside the panel
Does the return vent always need a filter inside of it?
Good question, and not necessarily. You need to check at your indoor air handler or furnace though and see if there is a filter rack at the indoor unit. If there is one, then no, you do not need a filter at the return vent. If there is not one, then yes, you will need a filter inside.
Where can I get either one of these high slow air filters?
Try Googling 20x30 (or whatever size you have) hepa filer with a 1” lip
I have a question regarding the "fresh air return(?)" on my AC system - is there a better filter than a wad of mesh shoved up in there? With a vaulted ceiling, the return isn't exactly the easiest thing to get to but I feel like there's something better that could be in there. I'm referring to the approximately 5" opening next to the primary return (I'm in Tucson, btw).
Ask about an ERV system, it’s the most efficient and effective way to bring fresh air into the house
where do i get the bar high flow at in va norfolk ? 20x25 ??
Try googling it, there are a couple online supply stores that sell to the public
My return just started doing this. We're in Phoenix as well. I've been using the same brand filters for 6 months now. Replace them every 2 months and they're not very dirty each time. But like I said it just recently started doing this. And my home has 2 returns. One in master bed and one at end of hallway next to living room/kitchen. Any idea why it's doing this now?
The return ducts you have may be kinked Joey. You may want them inspected and tested to make sure the airflow is not restricted because if it was installed poorly with lots of hard bends or pinched off, it will cause your filters to get sucked up
@@GreenintegrateddesignPages Thanks for the reply. Found out it was the filters being too restrictive. I switched them to the least restrictive filters I could find. It's been working perfect now. Except I can tell there's a lot more dust on everything now.
Joey M. Try a 3” HEPA filter with a 1” lip. You can find them online and they provide better filtration than the 1” pleated filters and don’t restrict the air as much because you get a larger surface area.
I have no suction what's going on
You have a large leak at the coil cabinet or in the ductwork that is causing the duct o loose pressure. An energy auditor will be able to measure the leakage and tell you what's going on