HVAC Filters 101 - Airflow Report: Are Expensive Filters Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
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Related videos:
1.) Static Pressure Part 1:
• Tech Tips: Static Pres...
2.) Static Pressure Part 2 - Airflow:
• Tech Tips: Static Pres...
3.) Sizing ductwork:
• Air Duct Calculation e...
Some of the fiberglass filters are way too see-thru/porous with super cheap construction.
A compromise could be the inexpensive basic pleated filter (MERV 8 equivalent) by Home Depot (HDX Brand). Use it and toss away every 30-60 days.
The see-thru fiberglass filters may stop hair but that’s it - won’t stop dust particles. Again I’m not suggesting getting a MERV 11/13 Allergen filter but a basic inexpensive pleated MERV 5-8 filter and change regularly.
Yes sir
OMG this is such an awesome channel!!
thank you
Thanks for confirming it. I had nothing but problems with those expensive paper filters. It would freeze up the outside pipe and killed the starter capacitor sooner than usual. I replaced it with the cheapest green fiberglass filters, and my AC last forever now and my electric bills cost less too. I told people that AC is not an air filter system. I installed a couple of air filter units inside the house to filter indoor dusts... 😃
thanks for checking out our videos, stay tuned, more to come...Brian.
Great video! I am currently running basic filters and have air purifiers in my home and it seems to make them last longer than previously, so that may be a solution for people that are afraid of the condenser system getting dirty quickly. Also there is less particulate mater in the air verified by my air things monitor which verifies my findings.
yes I've had a section of my right lung removed, so I put in the effort to put in an after market high efficiency filter cabinet at my furnace, but I still run an stand alone HEPA in my bedroom, and I may put another one in the corner of my living room. thanks for checking out the video.... Brian,
Made sense. Thank you for saving me money. Got some off ebay.
It would be useful to test a 4 inch deep merv 8
Question I've asked on similar videos that hasn't been answered. I previously lived in the NE and had systems with just one filter at the furnace. Now live in the SE with a home on a slab. I have five separate filters in the ceiling in a 2200 SF home. Only the two in the most lived in areas really ever get the least bit dirty. Am I okay using higher rated filters to get things like the pollen we have here out of the air and to keep the return ducts cleaner.
My mind is blown. I had no idea and I really thought i was doing the best thing getting the more expensive filters. Im going to upgrade (to the cheaper filters lol) this weekend and I will report back! Thanks for making this educational video for us uninformed homeowners!
If you live in a dusty area and use the spun glass filter im afraid i would need a tech in every year to clean the coils. That itself can be a restriction and added cost. So where would a good compromise be?
I was using fiberglass very thin filter, then my apartment complex switched to a very dense filter and then my coils froze up!!
This video only focus on static pressure drop but the reason for expensive filters is better clean the air. I was expecting more on the performance of air cleaning verses air obstruction and how frequent one should replace the filters before severe obstruction.
yes, static pressure and how different filters affect your furnace or AC performance and efficiency is what I'm talking about in this video, because your furnace or air handler was never designed to clean air, the air filters are to protect your equipment, not clean air. we have options that "trap" more particles, these larger filters require installation, some are, Air Bear, Honeywell, AprilAire Space Guard , General air 2000, these were designed to allow proper air flow while trapping as much as possible, but to ask a 1" filter to do the same just won't work, it will have your equipment working harder to change the temperature of your home. hope this helps, Brian..
I believe how often to change your filter will come down to a lot of factors. how good of a filter you have then better the filter the more often you will have to change it. how many people and pets in the home. how often it is running,, any smokers in the home. do you burn candles often?. how dusty or smoky in your part of the world. e.g. farm land and forest fires. the filter say UP to 3 months. DOES NOT say change every 3 months. If you want clean air in your home get a high rating filter and change it every month.
Spend $150-$200 on a great hepa air purifier (or double and get 2 that to purify even better). Those are meant to clean the air, not your hvac air filter. Trust me it’s worth it. Just keep up on the hepa filter when it says to change it. Cheaper to keep those up than constantly having a hunker evap coil or worse, an overworked fried compressor.
Be careful we used a cheap merv 1 and it clogged our system inside the unit with hair, dust, dirt etc. Costs us 170 to get it cleaned we also have pets so get a thicker filter then merv 1 if you have pets etc
thanks for checking out our video ! with any filter, replacing it regularly is the key, and always replace the filter with the system off. Brian
I'm partial to the hog hair filters, which I use most of the year. Supposedly a merv 4 at best. However once the temp hits 90° it's back to the merv1 fiberglass filter.
Wow! I just went to Lowes last night to purchase a new air filter, before turning my central A/C on for the season.... I've actually been buying the 3M Filtrete 1500 regularly, for the past few years!
I didnt realize they will make your system "work harder"???
Spun glass are awful look the same coming out as going in.
I normally get the filtrate 1900 thinking is supposed to help with allergies at home. I recently saw a video where it mentioned the stress it can put on the system and possibly ruin it later on. I’ve been using the filtrate 1900 for 5 years now and so far no problems. I heard about filters that hospitals use and can help with the air flow. My unit is a 2ton.
What type of filter would you recommend for my system that wouldn’t put much stress on it? Like what would you recommend the best MERV would be for my system?
Thank you!
In my case, I actually tried to find fiberglass filters for my AC system and could only find those pleated types. Can anyone recommend a place that can make custom-size (21.5" x 23.5" x 1") fiberglass filters by chance?
eBay
My return used a 20x30x1 inch filter for the first floor. This return vent was positioned near the corner of the wall allowing the addition of another identical vent and filter on the adjacent wall. This addition theoretically reduced the static airflow resistance by 50%. What an improvement!
more filter area is always better !!
But what merv is it
Yes but it will not catch anything this proved nothing
my intension wasn't to "prove" anything, I was merely pointing out that your furnace or air handler was not ever designed to "clean" the air in your home, the furnace filter was only to protect the equipment from debris,, and thats it. if you want to "clean" the air in your home, the correct way is to use something better than a 1 inch wide filter, there are options, I've listed the options before.... if you restrict the airflow beyond what the equipment manufactures rated it at, you'll lose air flow, your equipment will run hotter ( or colder ) and will not last as long and will not be as efficient, parts will break. there are better ways to filter the air in your home.
Will any fiberglass filter do? I see Merv 1, Merv 2, Merv…. Are they all created equal?
just like any filter, fiberglass filters can vary, but most fiberglass filter are going to give you better air flow at a lower cost. the number one thing to remember is every filter will get dirty, changing them on a regular basis is always key.
Change fiberglass every month, with the other filters you can change them every 3 months but i'd rather do every month anyway. HVAC systems are not air filters, a fiberglass filter protects the mechanical components and that's really the entire purpose of the filter.
Thank you for this information it was extremely helpful.
thanks for checking out my videos, lots more on its way... Brian
Climate master equipment in a hi rise apartment with 2" pleated filter, stock. I don't think i should put a fiberglass filter in. No issues with circulation/malfunction.
And according to the dylos 1100pro particle meter, it's as efficient as my old IQ air at cleaning air. And it does the entire 1000sq ft apt, and circulates the dehumidified air behind a sound proof door in the utility room. Dehumidifier is a ge 35 pint portable placed on the ground under the blower intake/filter. Water drains by gravity into the utility room drain, along with ac. The stock ac filter doesn't even show a merv rating. Given the small change in pressure on your filtrete 1900 over normal pleated, I'm going with merv 13 on replacement. Allergy symptoms are gone, even with carpets in bedrooms, in tropical climate.
LEED building, so positive pressure ventilation keeps tvoc readings down to outdoor levels. All metal furniture, except leather couches, to minimize off-gassing.
I seem to have found indoor air quality nirvana. But, I still want the carpets out.
the amount of VOCs in a new home is truly terrible, the chemicals in carpet, carpet padding and in the insulation are shocking. I'm glad you found what works in your situation, I recently had a portion of my right lung removed, now I really think about what I'm breathing. Stay well, ..Brian
@abledistributors thanks. Moved in after 18 months of completion. First occupant. So, most of the off gassing is done. Now, the carpets are accumulating bacteria and mold, which is evident by musty odors when humidity rises above 55 or 60 for a few hours. Humidity alarm set at 50% keeps the beast down. For now at least. Wouldn't dare water it (pro steam clean). Trafficked areas covered by machine washable rugs. Ozone seems a plan b, until find a carpet-less place. Carpets should be banned. Evidence is accumulating, carpets cause disease.
Update: unable to source merv 13 locally. Merv 8 is working fine, and much cheaper. 2" filter.
The fiber glass filters don't stop all the allergens , just collects whatever it's suppose to in 30 days, mine looks brand new still after 30 days. I vaccaum at least 3 times aweek
for the next exciting episode lets talk about electrostatic filters...
thanks for checking out my videos, as far as talking about electrostatic filters, I will not be, I just don't know enough facts to speak on the subject, but what I do know is how you wash your electrostatic filter makes all the difference, getting it clean ( completely clean ) and dry before reinstalling it, this is the tough part.. I'll look into these more, who knows ??
Are the permanent hydrostatic filters effective and efficient?
the key question here is, Effective and Efficient, effective, sure, they trap dirt, they must be cleaned and dried completely before reinstalling. as far as efficiency, it depends on your definition of efficient, some on the market are far to restrictive, all require frequent washing, I've found most people won't change a filter much less wash and dry one, maybe having two on hand is the answer, change it and wash it when you have time. thanks for checking out my videos.
And what do you do when you have asthma?
Room purifiers don't work. Use an expensive filter and the kids can breath. Use a thin filter and the kids have issues?
I absolutely understand, I'm in a similar situation, I have bad allergies and last year had some of my right lung removed, so I also need clean air in my home, and I know we will do whats needed. in my case I installed an after market air filter, mine is from GeneralAire, but Honeywell, and others have them as well, this filter is 5" thick and will trap most particles without sacrificing air flow, along with that you could install a "bypass style" H.E.P.A. air filter, with this I run my furnace fan constantly and it sits next to my furnace and I replace that filter every three years.. bottom line is always, protect your family and make yourself comfortable, good luck, stay well... Brian.
@@abledistributorshi Brian, can you make a video about these aftermarket 5” filter systems? I’ve been interested in changing out my return filter box from the 1” I have to a 4-5” return box for this reason. Thank you!
@@VanillaCoke sure, I'll add it to my list, large pleated filters are great, stop a lot of dirt and dust and allow good airflow due to the larger surface area, I'll cover the brands we sell, Honeywell and Generalaire, but there are others available as well, have a great day. Brian,
Thank you for all your great vids.
I was wondering if you can ever have too much return ducting.
After watching your videos, I checked my external static and found 3.5 and 3.5 for a total of 7 in WC .
Filter drop is .18 INWC ( 5 inch air bear) and a\c coil drop is .21INWC. ( 2.5 ton N coil.)
The temp rise is 70 degrees in heat mode. Rheem says 40-70 rise is okay , so I'm at the high end of acceptable . Shooting for 55 degree rise.
I'm thinking I might need more returns and supplies but don't want to over duct it. Any help or advice? Also, when is was installed they added one 10' and one 8 inch flexible return duct.
this is a 70,000 BTU Rheem 95% that replaced a 115,000 Ruud 95% furnace. Thank you
new video up now, sizing ductwork made easy, check it out.
We just installed a new 3ton single stage Rheem outside and inside air handler. Are the home depot #7 filter a good buy we have a 20x30 filter size and I replaced the filter every 6 weeks
first off, its great that you even think about your filter, most don't . I'm just not familiar with any Home Depot filters ( I've never bought filters from them ) 20"X30" is a huge filter, and changing them often helps a lot, I'm assuming its a pleated filter, I thought Home Depot has no fiberglass filters, I could be wrong. with that large of filter, you should be in great shape, especially with your system only being a three ton ( 1200 CFMs ) keep it clean and your new system will last forever. thanks for checking out our videos, Brian...
My house has 4 returns. Each has a filter. That is a whole lot more surface area than one 16x25 filter. The static drop you measured would be a lot higher like mine because my return system is moving the air thru much, MUCH more surface area. Project Farm measured the static drop of the Filtrete 1900 filter and it performed much better with regard to restricting air flow than you measured. Not sure why. But I do know that the Filtrete 1900 filter, because of its substantial number of pleats, has as much surface area as many 2" or 4" filters.
Just return the filter. Why would you throw it out?
I don't like to be wasteful , but they come wrapped in plastic that I removed to test with them, I thought about giving them away, but since I don't recommend these, why hand it to someone ?
@@abledistributors That makes sense!
3M filtrete 1900 - merv 13, but also twice the media as most merv 8's on the market (1,560 sq. in) so they do not clog up fast, or create static pressure build up any faster then the typical merv 8. Oh, but they do collect smaller particulate matter MUCH better than any merv 8 on the market (including particulates from wildfire smoke) - which equates to cleaner coils, less work for your motor etc, and FAR better overall air quality in your home. It's a no brainer. My residential HVAC heating/cooling system (Maytag) is close to 20 yrs old. Other than changing out a pressure switch yrs ago, not a single issue.
I change the 3M 1900 every 4-6 weeks in summer, 8 weeks when snow is on the ground.