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(self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Steve is the best!!!!!! Nina, glad you got it all fixed!!! So, um, how often are you supposed to changing your filters? We change ours every month bc that's what we were told, but we don't have a Trane.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Every month is probably overkill unless you have a lot of cats or live in a very dusty area, but it won't hurt anything. Every three months is usually recommended and most people change them every 6 months or so.
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(self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Hmm, so we may be in the overkill group... (no cats)... But the installer very clearly said change every month, so that's what we've been doing.
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Pinta & the Santa Maria Has Achieved Nirvana |
If I feel like losing any shreds of homeowner cred I have with you guys, I'll take a pic of my filter that was removed. In my defense, we've been gone a LOT, we don't run it very often, and we had forest fires and, oh forget it, I just totally spaced it.... | |||
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
We run the blower pretty much all the time. Old house, dogs over the years, and we only had the ducts cleaned once, maybe 20 years ago. At the time we decided it was a scam the way they "cleaned" them; maybe the method has changed and it's worth doing now. We've been using a lower cost pleated filter (not the 3M types - they block the air flow too much). We just had a new furnace put in in March. Our tech was here today to check the A/C, and he told us that the manufacturer recommends a spun filter, and not even the cheap pleated ones we've been using. Some years ago we simply forgot to change the filter for like 4 or 5 months (welcome to the club, Nina), and the air flow was restricted so much that the lines in the A/C froze up. Changed out the filter, problem solved.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
It's the fires that did it, most likely.
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(self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Ok I have no idea what these details are. Although just from the sound of it, I think we must be using the pleated ones??
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
This tech seems to think that the more basic filters improve air flow, and by extension, reduce the strain on the blower. People put in all manner of air filtration to trap dust and possible allergen particles. We tried those 3M Filtrete filters and found that air movement seemed to be diminished. I don’t know what to think but I’m beginning to believe that it probably doesn’t matter much one way or the other. Sometimes I think it’s just a lot of marketing hype.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
There are Rating numbers that basically tell you what size particles the filter will trap There are spun fiberglass filters that you can practically see through. Super cheap. They catch big particles The pleated filters are denser and catch smaller stuff. There are permanent filters you can wash. We open our windows on nice breezy days. We get all kinds of pollen and dust settling on windowsills and furniture. It may well be the case that for people with allergies it makes a big difference to have top notch air quality We don’t have health or allergy problems so I’m not sure it really matters to us how good the furnace filter is.
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(self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Ah, ok. This all makes sense. We are using the ones that were originally recommended to us (at no benefit to the recommender). We almost never open our windows, as sad as that is. It’s just too hot for much of the year, and then in spring and fall, I tend to worry about humidity control for the piano so we don’t open our windows at times when piano-less people might. Anyway, our AC works really well, and our electric bills are good —- oh and the filters we buy aren’t super expensive, so I think we’re probably ok.
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Beatification Candidate |
We run our blower almost all the time to help balance out the air in the apartment - I change out the filters every 2-3 months. In the apartment, there is only one big return duct with room for a 4" filter that I use the fiberglass one to catch the big stuff. The narrow filter by the furnace gets the Merv 11 filter. Lots of dust in the city, especially when there is construction!
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
The purpose of the filter is to keep dust in the return air from plugging up the indoor coil, aka “evaporator”. They can be cleaned but it’s really expensive and they generally get replaced. $$$ The blowers in residential air handlers are not designed for the restriction inherent in super efficient filters, and were never meant to remove things like pollen. If you want that, keep your windows closed or invest in an electrostatic unit. IMHO, the pleated paper filter is the way to go. It actually becomes more efficient as it plugs up but the blower works harder and the system efficiency drops. Cheap ones work just fine as long as you change them from time to time. I buy ‘em a case at a time. The spun ones offer max air flow, and many of them can be washed, but they don’t filter much until they start to plug up.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
At the risk of going too far in to the weeds, I’ll point out that commercial air handlers and “package units” (common on commercial buildings and rooftops in desert climates) are built such that you can get to the evaporator and clean it off with a water hose. For some reason this design has never been offered on a standard residential unit.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Great info, Steve. Thanks! The installers got a really good look at the coil when they replaced our furnace earlier this year. Our A/C is at least 12 years old and there were multiple large dogs in the house during that time. They said the coil looked really clean. And our old furnace lasted 25 years. We must be doing something right....
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knitterati Beatification Candidate |
We’re terrible at maintenance, so we have a maintenance contract with the company that installed our furnace/ac. They come annually to tune up both units, and change the filter. I’m fine with paying; I know I’d never do it myself…
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