how to tell what size air filter you need

When was the final time you inverse the air filter in your furnace?

Choosing the right furnace filter size for your home is very important. It will assist maintain your furnace's efficiency and keep your dwelling house's air make clean.

In this commodity, I'll become over how to discover out what size furnace filter you need. I'll also give you lot a few tips and tricks when it comes to changing your furnace's air filter.

How to find your furnace filter size – 3 different ways

When you change furnace filters, the showtime thing you want to do is know what size furnace filter you accept. The furnace filter needs to exist able to fit snugly into its slot.

If the filter is too big, and then it won't fit into the filter slot and you won't be able to put the encompass back on. This can crusade dirty air to infiltrate the inside of your furnace (and dwelling house).

If the filter is too small, then there will be a gap around the air filter. This allows dingy air to get around the filter. It's nearly like having no filter at all.

Worse yet, a small filter won't completely fit into the filter slot. The filter might implode and get stuck in your blower bike, causing a bunch of impairment.

Below I'll go over three different methods of finding your furnace filter's size. So no matter what situation you lot're in, yous'll be able to figure what size filter goes in your furnace.

Check the old air filter for its size

The start (and easiest) fashion to figure out your furnace filter'south size is to bank check your one-time air filter for its size.

Most air filters have their size printed on the side of the frame. The length, width, and depth of the filter are measured in inches. For example, information technology will say something similar "16x25x1", where 16" is the length, 25" is the width, and 1" is the depth.

One time you know the old air filter's size, y'all tin easily go and purchase a new filter with the same dimensions.

Measure the old air filter

If your erstwhile air filter doesn't have the measurements printed on its side, and then yous can mensurate the filter.

Utilise a measuring record to mensurate the length, width, and depth of the air filter. Keep in mind that the actual size of the air filter will be smaller than the nominal size of the air filter.

For example, an air filter with a nominal size of 16"x25"x1" will accept an actual size of fifteen-½"x24-½"x3/4".

Basically, when you take measurements of an air filter, you just demand to circular upwards to the nearest inch to find the dimensions of the filter that you demand to purchase.

Mensurate air register or air filter slot

If all else fails, then yous can ever measure the slot that the air filter goes in. Y'all'll need to do this if your furnace is missing its air filter and yous don't know what size the air filter is supposed to exist.

Go on in mind that the air filter slot will be the actual air filter size. So the filter slot volition measure out a footling bit smaller than the size of the air filter that you need to buy.

Air filter MERV rating

Knowing the size of your air filter is just one piece of the puzzle. The other matter that you lot need to know is the MERV rating that you lot should employ.

The air filter'due south MERV rating is a measurement of how effective an air filter is at removing particles from the air. A higher MERV rating ways that an air filter is more effective at removing smaller particles from the air.

To larn more than nearly air filter MERV ratings, check out my article below:

Where is the furnace filter located?

The air filter on a furnace is usually located in the return air intake at the furnace. Look for where the render duct connects to your furnace, and there should be a plate that covers the slot that the air filter goes in.

Some homes have HVAC systems that do non take air filters at the air handling unit. Instead, the air filter is located at the return vent inside the home.

If your furnace has an air filter at the return vent, and so changing the filter is easy since information technology tin exist done from the within of your home. You lot just need to brand certain that you can reach the return vent safely to bandy out the filter.

For more information virtually render vent filters, cheque out my article below:

Can yous stack air filters to make them fit?

No, you should not stack air filters to make them fit in a larger slot.

If you stack air filters, you volition greatly reduce airflow through your furnace. This will reduce airflow and make your furnace piece of work much harder to rut upwards your home.

In the long term, this can actually burn out your blower motor since it will struggle to blow air through your system.

Instead of stacking filters, you lot should get the correct filter size to begin with. This ensures that you won't restrict too much airflow through your furnace and keep everything running smoothly.

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Source: https://hvactrainingshop.com/what-size-air-filter-do-you-need/

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