I appreciate your input and agree. I notice he charted pressure drop on a variable system speed, but I don't have a variable system. He also referenced media filters (that were in the hundreds instead of thousands) but didn't mention the difference between those filters and why certain higher ones were fine and others weren't. Under researched video. However, good point about checking static pressure. I'll need to check if my HVAC guy does that.

Thank you very much!

Using the rock catchers does have other drawback. Equipment gets dirty, efficiency drops and stress on the equipment goes up

I’m not able to find an airflow chart on that specific filter so I cannot verify 100% for sure that there wouldn’t be an excessive air flow restriction, but I would feel comfortable saying if your system is a 4 Ton or less heat pump you should probably be ok with that model.

@@staticpressurenerd5182 THANK YOU so much for your reply...and I apologize for not acknowledging you sooner. I just saw the email notification in my gmail...my bad. Very much appreciate your efforts!! (Sorry if I confused you...I used my friends laptop, so when I clicked on the email link, it logged into youtube with his account 🙂 )

Thanks for the feedback. I honestly wasn’t expecting anyone other than hvac techs to watch this video… but I totally understand that

It’s a crime against humanity itself.

Glad to hear you haven’t had any issues. With PSC motors they don’t ramp up and potentially overheat. The restriction of the filter reduces your airflow and may result in longer run times, but if everything has been ok for you that’s great!

Indeed. My hvac expert measured my system return air flow and ok’d the merv 13 16 x 24 x 2 inch filter I had been using from an equipment static pressure point of view. My system has too much power for my sq ft anyways. Still recently I switched to merv 8 2 inch to increase efficiency on coldest and warmest months. Still use higher merv during spring when hvac hardly runs but allergies are high, which should be fine. Though I’ve decided to mainly focus on a single high efficiency self standing air purifier for air quality needs. The hvac filters only filter when they are running and I don’t use unless too hot or cold. Also, MERV 8 is supposed to be really good and the MERV rating is done in a clean lab with minimal air pass on a clean filter. My air keeps cycling through the filter over and over and as it gets dirtier there is more restriction which I think means it filters better. This video was informative though.

The answer may be in your second sentence.......Trane.

Because this video is bs trying to reinvent a system that works just fine

Because… less than pleated will not catch dust and will lead to your blower wheel/evaporator being plugged with dirt/dust

@@zachosborne6577 That's ridiculous... I've had furnaces run for decades without any problems from dust appearing on those items.

If you’re using hog hair filters or those cheap filters you can see through, you have dust in your blower wheel and evaporator. If you say you don’t you’re being disingenuous.

Never heard of the brand but for a 5” media usually I’m comfortable going to Merv 11 as long as it is sized correctly. Does the foam come attached to the filter?

@@staticpressurenerd5182 Yep, the foam is attached. 3 sides of the filter (minus the side that the door is on) and one foam strip on the door. The strange thing is I've seen photos of filters both with and without the foam on it. After speaking with the installers when they arrived this morning I asked if the foam was common. I was told that the 4" filters don't have foam but it is common to have foam with the 5" filters. I've seen reviews that did mention the foam on the filter. So, I guess my next trip to the big box store I'll have a look down the filter aisle to see what is common and what isn't. Side note: I was originally supposed to get a 5" electronic filter with this installation. But it seems that their suppliers don't have any. They wanted to switch me to a 1" electronic filter. I passed. I also found it a bit strange that they would suggest it since my original request was an update to a 4" or 5" media cartridge and they came up with the suggestion of the electronic filter along with a statement that 1" would be too small for the furnace I was buying anyway. Only to suggest that they had a 1" electronic filter available... Also, we will be approaching day 3 of the installation as they forgot to put in the UV light for the evaporator coils, the install tech disconnected my 2nd stage wire to the Nest thermostat, and they disconnected the 2nd stage wire to let the Nest control the humidifier. This makes no sense as I ran an 18/8 wire to the old furnace so there wouldn't need to be any picking and choosing as to what functions would be handled by the thermostat and furnace. So that's supposed to be cleared up possibly tomorrow.

MERV 4 is probably your best bet for 1” filters. You could improve your filtration by installing a bipolar ionization unit into your return which will cause smaller particles in the air stream to clump together and get caught in your filter.

@@staticpressurenerd5182 is merv 4 not super low ? like most particles will pass . Thanks for the great video

Your takeaways are correct. 1” pleated filters are typically $15-$25 depending the brand and benefits advertised. If you are buying 4 a year your filter costs is are at least $60. On top of this, you have the added cost of energy consumption from an underperforming HVAC system. Investing in a media cabinet and having a yearly filter cost of $30-40 (if you are purchasing them yourself) will pay for itself and then some in a few years.

Magnehelic pressure gauges www.supplyhouse.com/Dwyer-2301-Magnehelic-Differential-Pressure-Gage-0-5-0-0-5-W-C?Shopping_withoutdata&Shopping_Without_PLTV_data&gclid=CjwKCAjwtKmaBhBMEiwAyINuwIF39ew4LMQelxP-de7OgaowlfgtzyjVxstzY7r2uB1ye1JJ3WDs4xoCT_kQAvD_BwE

Manometer is a standard, meaning as long as it has the proper fluid it will be accurate. A gauge like the magnehelic that the nerd recommended needs to be calibrated over time to remain accurate. I did this for 30 years and we used magnehelic gauges. We also ISO calibrated them with fluid manometers which is a standard.

generally lower merv ratings restrict airflow less. if you have the option thicker filters give the same or better filtration without raising static pressure as much so if possible try a 20x20x2 instead of a 20x20x1.

A business associate I know always calls phoenix Arizona “the land of no return”

Definitely use the 4 inch filter. Do you know what the model number of the furnace is?

Yes the filter in the return duct. There is no filter inside a heat exchanger.

www.supplyhouse.com/Hart-Cooley-284200250-20-x-25-x-1-Polyester-Throw-Away-Replacement-Filter

@@staticpressurenerd5182 Thank you! Just ordered 4 of those filters.

No, terrible idea. Thats 4 times the restriction. Proper 4 inch filters do not have 4 times thicker material, they have more material at same thickness bunched up within the frame.

@@kayakdog121 Got it. Thanks very much.

Without actually putting test equipment on the systems couldn’t say either way about your specific application. From my personal experience going into thousands of homes, the majority of 1” pleated filters are not sized properly and are causing airflow/comfort issues, higher energy costs and in some cases premature equipment failure. If your application is working with 1” pleated though I’m glad to hear it!

Is your blower motor a PSC motor or ECM? If it is ECM the blower will maintain the same CFM at the cost of higher electrical consumption and potential early module failure. If you are achieving this with a PSC motor then you should be ok, however it would be recommended to check static pressure on the entire system to verify you don’t have any potential issues with undersized ducts.

@@staticpressurenerd5182 yes it is a PSC motor. Thank you for the info. I will be conducting a static pressure test on the system next.

Yes - Most folks should stick with a basic MERV 8 pleated filter for the common 1” filter width. If they get static pressure tested and maybe have allergy issues and can support MERV 11 then sure. But without proper testing/measurements - folks should stick to basic MERV 7/8 pleated filters.

some systems need fiberglass filter to get proper airflow - depends on filter size vs airflow and blower motor type/ductwork. without testing an individual system it is a guess. @@Kenster-man

Definitely recommend the appropriately sized media cabinet for optimal filtration and air flow. Without knowing the air flow of the electric furnace I couldn’t give you any specific model numbers

That would be great I would be really interested to check it out!

Whats the name of that filter and what store carries it?

A new filter cabinet needs installed to accommodate for the larger media filter. Usually some slight duct work modification is necessary to accommodate for this.

Mishimoto all the way

Now there are two of us.

If you are restricting air then you aren’t going to have the clean air anyways because the velocity through the filter will be high and the dirt will sift through and get past the filter.

Steve T would all depend on the actual air flow and what the coil was rated for clean at that air flow. In my opinion if your drop across the coil is 20% higher than the drop the coil is rated for at that air flow it might be worth looking into cleaning up the coil.

@@staticpressurenerd5182 one issue is in the field you will have a difficult time in most cases finding the manufacturer rated static pressure drop of that particular coil. Also many coils are uncased coils within the duct work and its nearly impossible to get a model or part #. So there must be an acceptable range to refer back to. I think your video is insightful, static pressure is definitely something which is overlooked in many cases.

Steve T Definitely agree! I would say if you can’t get your hands on that information, older equipment may have a clean pressure drop of around .2-.25”wh and some newer systems are commonly .3”wc. If you are reading drops of .4”wc or higher there probably is an issue, whether it be system design, incorrect air flow settings or the coil itself being dirty. Just trying to help everyone be more conscious about paying attention to static pressure I think it will benefit both technicians and customers in the long run!

The 4 inch pleated filters in my example were Aprilaire media filters. As for a 1 inch filter with a low pressure drop a common brand is True Blue.

@@staticpressurenerd5182 are all True Blue low pressure drops? I see Home Depot has some FPR 5 and FPR 7. Is True Blue the brand you recommend for 1” filters?

FPR5 and FPR7 may be too restrictive depending on the size of the filter and the air flow required for your heating and cooling system. I don’t specifically recommend True Blue filters, these are only an example of a 1” fiberglass type filter. Any fiberglass type filter will help reduce pressure drops in your HVAC system. Lower pressure drops result in less energy consumption. We can modify the filtration system to have two 1” filters in a “V” formation which will allow for more surface area and as a result more air flow capacity. This would allow you to use filters with higher MERV/MPR/FPR ratings such as 1” pleated filters (Filtrete, 3M, etc.) While this method works, switching to a 4 or 5” media filter cabinet will be a more effective method of improving filtration without increasing pressure drop. Your yearly cost on filters will usually be lower on a 4” filter v. High filtration 1” filters.

Even better to not have the blower motor fail at all!

Yolo

They may be behind technology but 1" filters are what is in place in most homes. So advocating for 2" or 5" or more isn't going to help anyone that isn't able financially to rip out their current system and install systems capable of handling thicker filters. The number of pleats has a lot to do with how much the airflow is restricted. I suggest watching Farm Project's testing. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iNGaha56t9zFZWw.html

Probably because of the high negative static in the blower compartment

the pleats are deeper in the wider filters, do math.

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My imaginary friend says your your imaginary friend is a fraud. And my imaginary friend is better than yours!