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Re: [Shop-talk] Furnace Filters

To: Jim Stone <1789alpine@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Furnace Filters
From: Jeff Scarbrough <fishplate@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2021 19:22:44 -0500
Cc: Shop Talk <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: shop-talk@autox.team.net
References: <B3C714CF-AAC5-4A2B-959F-15F58A6D5232@gmail.com> <C8F4D84C-BA8D-4336-9818-E8489669A16F@icloud.com> <7A31A1A5-4974-420F-8A92-2DC3A90E5661@gmail.com>
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I have a deep filter housing (this kind
https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-401-replacement-filter  ) and
I get a year or more out of them.  They are MERV 10, and the system is
designed for them.  A deeper filter has more surface area, so it can
collect more dust before restricting air flow.

I'm kind of in the filter business, as I help manage a high-containment
biological research laboratory where keeping things in their place is very
important.  We have hundreds of HEPA filters, plus the gamut of regular and
bag filters from MERV 8 to MERV 13.  In general, we determine when
replacement is necessary by measuring pressure drop across the filter.

I don't do that at home, but you all have got me to thinking I should. I'm
general, though, the performance of the system will inform you.  Too much
restriction (from a loaded filter, or just too many of them in the train)
will eventually cause noticable problems.



On Mon, Dec 13, 2021, 19:03 Jim Stone <1789alpine@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks, guys.  That is all good feedback. David: I hadn=E2=80=99t conside=
red using
> a washable filter, but it is an interesting idea.  It looks like a 4=E2=
=80=9D one
> will cost me around $100, so the breakeven point is after a year.  Not to=
o
> bad.
>
> But, here is an interesting point that showed up tangentially when I
> Googled =E2=80=9Cwashable furnace filters=E2=80=9D:
>
> Fortunately, most 20x25x4 air filters last between *six to eight months*.
> By that calculation, the average homeowners will not need more than two
> 20x25x4 air filters in any given year. In contrast, a one-inch air filter
> will need to be changed every two to three months.
> https://servicechampions.com/benefits-of-a-20x25x4-air-filter-installed-i=
n-your-furnace/
>
>
> If that is true, the cost difference between the 4=E2=80=9D and 1=E2=80=
=9D disappears.
> Thoughts?
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Dec 13, 2021, at 5:32 PM, Pat Horne <patintexas@icloud.com> wrote:
>
> My shop air handler is set up to use a 2=E2=80=9D filter but the installe=
r said to
> use 2 one inch filters, both good ones. I watch the first one & remove it
> when it is too dirty, move the second one up & install a new second one.
> There is some discoloration on the second filter, so it is doing
> something.
>
> If you want to go with two different ones, I=E2=80=99d put the poorer one=
 first,
> followed by the better one.
>
> My HVAC guy says to not use the corrugated filters, nor the fiberglass
> ones that you can see throughout. He sells me Purolator 312 filters by th=
e
> case.
>
> Peace,
> Pat
>
> Pat Horne
> We support Habitat for Humanity
>
>
> On Dec 13, 2021, at 4:21 PM, Jim Stone <1789alpine@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> =EF=BB=BFThe company that installed my HVAC system a few years ago used a=
 filter
> box on the return line that takes 20=E2=80=9D x 25" x* 4=E2=80=9D* filter=
s, which is an
> unusual, and thus expensive, size - filters generally run about $25 each =
-
> that is not readily available other than online.  During construction, my
> general contractor just had a cheap 20=E2=80=9D x 25" x *1=E2=80=9D *filt=
er in there that
> seemed to work just fine.  I checked the installation instructions for th=
e
> furnace and there are no specifications for the filters, other than that
> they need to be changed regularly, which is getting pretty expensive.  Is
> there any reason I couldn=E2=80=99t just use 1=E2=80=9D filters, which ar=
e less than half
> the price?  Maybe even put two of them in the box, a good one first to
> catch most of the dust and a cheap one like the contractor used as a
> secondary one.  It is a snug fit and I don=E2=80=99t think there is any d=
anger of
> them tipping, but two would make it impossible.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim
> _______________________________________________
>
> Shop-talk@autox.team.net
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>
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>
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>

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<div dir=3D"auto">I have a deep filter housing (this kind=C2=A0<a href=3D"h=
ttps://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-401-replacement-filter">https:=
//shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-401-replacement-filter</a>=C2=A0 ) =
and I get a year or more out of them.=C2=A0 They are MERV 10, and the syste=
m is designed for them.=C2=A0 A deeper filter has more surface area, so it =
can collect more dust before restricting air flow.<div dir=3D"auto"><br></d=
iv><div dir=3D"auto">I&#39;m kind of in the filter business, as I help mana=
ge a high-containment biological research laboratory where keeping things i=
n their place is very important.=C2=A0 We have hundreds of HEPA filters, pl=
us the gamut of regular and bag filters from MERV 8 to MERV 13.=C2=A0 In ge=
neral, we determine when replacement is necessary by measuring pressure dro=
p across the filter.=C2=A0=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=
=3D"auto">I don&#39;t do that at home, but you all have got me to thinking =
I should. I&#39;m general, though, the performance of the system will infor=
m you.=C2=A0 Too much restriction (from a loaded filter, or just too many o=
f them in the train) will eventually cause noticable problems.=C2=A0 =C2=A0=
</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div></div><br><di=
v class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Dec 1=
3, 2021, 19:03 Jim Stone &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:1789alpine@gmail.com"; target=
=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer">1789alpine@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div=
><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1=
px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style=3D"word-wrap:break-word;line-bre=
ak:after-white-space">Thanks, guys.=C2=A0 That is all good feedback. David:=
 I hadn=E2=80=99t considered using a washable filter, but it is an interest=
ing idea.=C2=A0 It looks like a 4=E2=80=9D one will cost me around $100, so=
 the breakeven point is after a year.=C2=A0 Not too bad.<div><br></div><div=
>But, here is an interesting point that showed up tangentially when I Googl=
ed =E2=80=9Cwashable furnace filters=E2=80=9D:=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><b=
lockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><font co=
lor=3D"#0433ff"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Google Sans Text&quot;,ari=
al,sans-serif;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Fortunately, most 20x25x4 =
air filters last between=C2=A0</span><b style=3D"font-family:&quot;Google S=
ans Text&quot;,arial,sans-serif">six to eight months</b><span style=3D"font=
-family:&quot;Google Sans Text&quot;,arial,sans-serif;background-color:rgb(=
255,255,255)">. By that calculation, the average homeowners will not need m=
ore than two 20x25x4 air filters in any given year. In contrast, a one-inch=
 air filter will need to be changed every two to three months. =C2=A0</span=
></font><a href=3D"https://servicechampions.com/benefits-of-a-20x25x4-air-f=
ilter-installed-in-your-furnace/" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_=
blank">https://servicechampions.com/benefits-of-a-20x25x4-air-filter-instal=
led-in-your-furnace/</a></div></blockquote><div><div><br></div><div>If that=
 is true, the cost difference between the 4=E2=80=9D and 1=E2=80=9D disappe=
ars.=C2=A0 Thoughts?</div><div><br></div><div>Jim=C2=A0</div><div><br></div=
><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On Dec 13, 2021, at 5:32 PM, Pat H=
orne &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:patintexas@icloud.com"; rel=3D"noreferrer norefer=
rer" target=3D"_blank">patintexas@icloud.com</a>&gt; wrote:</div><br><div><=
div dir=3D"auto">My shop air handler is set up to use a 2=E2=80=9D filter b=
ut the installer said to use 2 one inch filters, both good ones. I watch th=
e first one &amp; remove it when it is too dirty, move the second one up &a=
mp; install a new second one.=C2=A0<div>There is some discoloration on the =
second filter, so it is doing something.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>If =
you want to go with two different ones, I=E2=80=99d put the poorer one firs=
t, followed by the better one.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>My HVAC guy s=
ays to not use the corrugated filters, nor the fiberglass ones that you can=
 see throughout. He sells me Purolator 312 filters by the case.=C2=A0<br><b=
r>Peace,</div><div>Pat</div><div><br><div dir=3D"ltr">Pat Horne=C2=A0<div>W=
e support Habitat for Humanity</div><div><br></div></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><=
br>On Dec 13, 2021, at 4:21 PM, Jim Stone &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:1789alpine@=
gmail.com" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">1789alpine@gmail=
.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BFThe company that=
 installed my HVAC system a few years ago used a filter box on the return l=
ine that takes 20=E2=80=9D x 25&quot; x<b> 4=E2=80=9D</b> filters, which is=
 an unusual, and thus expensive, size - filters generally run about $25 eac=
h - that is not readily available other than online.=C2=A0 During construct=
ion, my general contractor just had a=C2=A0cheap 20=E2=80=9D x 25&quot; x <=
b>1=E2=80=9D </b>filter in there that seemed to work just fine.=C2=A0 I che=
cked the installation instructions for the furnace and there are no specifi=
cations for the filters, other than that they need to be changed regularly,=
 which is getting pretty expensive.=C2=A0 Is there any reason I couldn=E2=
=80=99t just use 1=E2=80=9D filters, which are less than half the price?=C2=
=A0 Maybe even put two of them in the box, a good one first to catch most o=
f the dust and a cheap one like the contractor used as a secondary one.=C2=
=A0 It is a snug fit and I don=E2=80=99t think there is any danger of them =
tipping, but two would make it impossible.<div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div>=
<div>Jim</div><span>_______________________________________________</span><=
br><span></span><br><span><a href=3D"mailto:Shop-talk@autox.team.net"; rel=
=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">Shop-talk@autox.team.net</a></=
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><br></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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</blockquote></div>

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