Check Your AC Filters (Phoenix: 2014, lenders, new home)

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Airflow matters in efficiency and longevity and the cheapies give the best airflow.

I think this is good advice....one just needs to replace them more often (but they're cheap!)

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

Yes people, check your AC filters and other associated components now that it's getting hot. It could mean the difference between a May 15th to June 15th bill of $337 and being 87 degrees inside the house despite a setting of 78 degrees or something else!

Simple fixes, big impact!

Great advice, PhoenixSomeday . . . I just changed mine this morning.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

The 1-inch disposable filtretes are a really bad idea for any system

Not true for Energy Star qualified homes, and definitely not true for EPA Indoor airPLUS qualified homes. One of the design requirements for a home to qualify for Energy Star certification is that the HVAC system is required to be tested for airflow using a filter with a minimum MERV rating of 6. For EPA Indoor airPLUS, the minimum required MERV rating is increased to 8. Using the cheap fiberglass filters in an Energy Star home pretty much voids your home's certification and could actually do more harm than good since it would allow more dirt to collect on your coils, causing potential damage.

Therefore, if some HVAC hack tells you to use the cheap fiberglass filters in your Energy Star home, show him your home's Energy Star certificate and Google the requirements to prove him wrong. Most hacks in the HVAC trade have no idea on what is required for Energy Star certification, since they are willing just to make a quick buck. HVAC contractors are required to receive special training in order to install and test a system in an Energy Star home, and these specially trained contractors are still an extreme minority.

If you have problems with your HVAC system in your Energy Star home, it is highly recommended to only have your system serviced by the company who installed it since they are typically aware of the requirements.

[pbenjamin]

Our house has reusable, hose-them-down filters. I tried buying disposable filters but they seem to be about 1/8" too big and won't fit. I wonder if we're not getting the most efficient filtering.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Our house has reusable, hose-them-down filters. I tried buying disposable filters but they seem to be about 1/8" too big and won't fit. I wonder if we're not getting the most efficient filtering.

If your home is an Energy Star home, you should probably ask your builder what MERV rating your HVAC system was tested to use.

[cjs123]

Originally Posted by WSPHXPELON

I bought some expensive A/C filters a few years back. They are the re-usable kind that you spray out with the hose once a month then dry and replace. Now I'm wondering if they are really as effective as the disposable ones... Thoughts?

My home builder (2004) said it was most important to change the basic A/C filter once a month, and the more expensive filters weren't necessary.

I have heard the corrugated filters make your system work harder. One year when I couldn't find the basic filters locally I bought the corrugated ones. I still changed them monthly, even though the corrugated filters were supposedly good for three months; I didn't want three months of stuff accumulating and just sitting there.

Now I'm back to the basic filters which I buy 12-24 at a time so I am set for 1-2 years. I also have a monthly reminder on my calendar, since it is an easy thing to forget.

[Colt AZ]

Check Your AC Filters

Good comments! The operative word is MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value).

http://www.mechreps.com/PDF/Merv_Rating_Chart.pdf

[Pink Jazz]

I don't understand why everyone continues to ignore my comments on what is required for Energy Star homes. It is mandatory for all Energy Star homes to have their HVAC systems tested for airflow using a MERV 6 or higher filter. Using one of those cheap fiberglass filters in an Energy Star home violates the Energy Star standard.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

I don't understand why everyone continues to ignore my comments on what is required for Energy Star homes. It is mandatory for all Energy Star homes to have their HVAC systems tested for airflow using a MERV 6 or higher filter. Using one of those cheap fiberglass filters in an Energy Star home violates the Energy Star standard.

PJ, not everyone is ignoring you.

Just some of us.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

If your home is an Energy Star home, you should probably ask your builder what MERV rating your HVAC system was tested to use.

The house was built in 1941, so I'm guessing it's not an Energy Star home.