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So what's more restrictive in terms of pleated filters, the one inch pleated filter of five inch, both 20" x 20"....
I have yet to see a pleated filter that's one inch have a filter grille made correctly for them. Those 3M versions are some of the worst. I'm not saying some haven't over-sized (or correctly sized) the filter grille but they are few and far between. Most only use effective area and not free area when designing an air distribution system. Those mistakes can make quite the difference in what the system can do. 9/10 return grilles I see are undersized effectively choking the system out. The slower you can get the air to flow across your filter the more effective the filter is, it's called hang time usually by HVAC professionals that understand what free area and effective area are. .
"So what's more restrictive in terms of pleated filters, the one inch pleated filter of five inch, both 20" x 20"...."
Not quite sure what you are asking here. My point was that if one filter (20" x20" in your example) restricts the flow too much, a way around that is to MAKE your own filter frame so that TWO or more filters can be used side by side. That can sometimes be easy if the unit is in a dedicated closet, with a return air grill in a wall or door, or a large return duct can have filters inserted at an angle instead of at 90% to the duct.
It was just a question in general. Your idea is exactly the same one behind not using a 1" pleated and instead going with a thicker one, for example, a 5". Both increase surface area. I was just trying to get some of the posters to think a bit about it, not you of course as it surely seems like you already understand.
I live in a very dry "desert" climate. I have 2 cats, and 2 people in my home. I use cheap 1" pleated filters. They cost under $5 from the grocery store.
I change them every 4-6 months, with no issues at all.
Not sure why yours are costing so much. I can get 4" filters, that are rated to last a full year for $35.
Within two weeks, my filter is already a medium/dark shade of gray. By the end of the month it's a very very dark grey/almost black. So, I'm thinking about changing my air filter again, even though I just purchased one two weeks ago. I have one pet, don't smoke, don't open windows, & am very clean. I called Home Depot, & the guy working was rude & said that's fine & you should change it every month. But when the air conditioner comes on, I can feel warm air at first & there is also a bad smell. At night my nose clogs up & I'm sure it's the air. Could anyone please give me some advice? I rent in a condo & am wanting to know it there's something wrong with the air conditioning & if I can make the landlord pay for my having to pay an extra $25 a month for the filters. Thanks!
If you burn candles, your filter will turn dark gray/black even if you dont think the candle smoke looks black, it is sucking up into your air filter!
There is some misconception about how often a filter change is required. Consider:
WHAT exactly is the purpose of changing a filter?
1. to reduce the restriction of the airflow from a loaded filter. (This also SLIGHTLY reduces energy costs [except in extreme situations, the difference is almost inconsequential])
2. to remove odorous particles that may have been caught.
3. to remove mold spores
4. (and this one is a stretch) to remove any virus spores from an ill person, just in case the filter gets jiggled in such a way that they could be released.
There are no other reasons to change a filter.
That's funny, I thought the MAIN reason to replace the filter is to protect the systems exchanger from getting clogged with dust/dirt. Once the fins on the heat exchanger are clogged the system has to work harder to give you the same results in heating or cooling. A system that works harder (Runs longer), will fail sooner than a system that does not work harder, not to mention your using more electricity (MONEY).
I have 3 inch pleated filters on my system. I change them one every 3 months, I write on the side of the filter when the last time I changed them to keep track.
Although this post is a few years old, I think it necessary to answer this.
Quote:
No one burns THAT many candles....
When I was handling homes in litigation for one of the National Home builders, I ran across a home owner that claimed mold was a major issue in her home. She showed evidence by the black air filter. I made the inspection and noticed the candles but didn't say anything. I picked up her filter and installed a new one and left. I was to get back to her in a week. I took the filter to Southwest Research here in San Antonio to have the filterate determined. It was candle wax. I went back to her home the next week with the report and while there looked at the filter I had installed- it was black. So yeah, some folks burn a lot of candles. Per her, they smell good. Her carpet was also black along the base and the walls were dingy at best. The house was less than 8 months old. If you ever work the customer service side of the home building industry, you'll learn more about home building AND just how stupid some folks can be- owners and sub contractors. I'm not sure, but I think I've seen just about every way possible to screw up a house.
how often do you guys replace your air filters? most filters recommend 1 month my filter say 3 month
What do you guys think about replacing air filter when it start to look dirty. if it's not really dirty and even though it's been 1 month, don't really need to replace it?
how about the quality of the filter? I just pick the mid-range price filter in costco. the house is pretty clean the neighborhood seems clean, maybe I can downgrade to cheap ones if I don't feel any discomfort in the air?
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