Where Is The Air Filter In My House

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While Ac and furnace units do a decent job of filtering air impurities on their own, return vent filters tin can aid in this by interim equally the first line of defense. Granted, regular air filters have their employ merely a secondary option could be the stride y'all demand to keep your HVAC system clean and efficient.

Return vent filters can help with this– the first step at straining for dust and other floating debris.

Below are details concerning return vent filters, when you should use them, and what you can wait.

How do return air vent filters work?

Return vent filters act as the first layer of protection to preclude air pollutants and other nasty particulates from getting into the air you breathe.

Installed at the return vent in your dwelling house, they pre-filter dust and other particles. This keeps your ductwork make clean and extends the life of the chief filter at your HVAC unit.

If you lot take a standard-sized return vent in your home, it will exist able to adjust a regular, rectangular-shaped air filter.

Return vent filter sizes

Render vents come up in many different sizes. Depending on the size of your return vent, you lot may need a certain size air filter. The size of your air filter tin can be determined by looking at the old air filter.

If the one-time air filter isn't available, and then you'll need three unlike measurements: length, width, and depth. They can be measured by opening the return vent and measuring the sides:

Measure out the short side. For example, the short side could be 15-one/ii″
Measure the long size. For example, the long side could exist 24-ane/ii″
Measure out the depth. For example, the depth could be 7/eight″
Round up the measurement. The size of filter that yous need to social club would be 16″x25″x1″

Need a specific filter size?

Using the Filter King's filter pick tool, you tin punch in exactly the size, thickness, and MERV rating y'all're looking for.

Customize Filter Size

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Benefits of return vent filters

There are plenty of advantages of render vent filters. Here are some of their primary benefits:

The first line of defense – Vent filters piece of work equally the first baby-sit against impurities from the air existence circulated inside your domicile. Ordinary filters certainly have their use, but some situations may call for a backup on your return vent to pre-filter the air in your dwelling.
Like shooting fish in a barrel to switch out – Due to its location, it's much easier to change out return vent filters than your primary filter. Many homes have their HVAC units in the cranium, so yous won't need to brand as many trips upward there to switch out filters.
Protection for ductwork– Return vent filters prevent particulates such as grit and hair from e'er entering your HVAC ductwork. Notice dust building upwardly in your ducts? The easiest way to become rid of this trouble is to simply cover the return grill with a vent filter.
Protection for primary air filter – Using a return vent filter will extend the life of the main air filter at your HVAC unit. The filter at your return vent will pre-filter out any dust and debris. This helps prolong the life of the expensive pleated air filter at your HVAC unit.

If you lot have pets, incoming particles such as hair and dander might muddied up your ductwork. Using a return vent filter kit will aid in filtering out pet pilus before information technology fifty-fifty makes contact with your home's HVAC system.

What if in that location is already a filter at your HVAC unit?

Using a MERV-2 or MERV-3 filter in your return vent works well if yous already have a pleated filter at your HVAC unit. Fiberglass filters work well every bit pre-filters in render vents because they have depression MERV ratings.

Truthful Blueish Air Filter

This MERV-ii air filter comes in a pack of 12 and is a corking solution for return vents. It allows for a good amount of airflow and is like shooting fish in a barrel to swap out.

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Why should you utilise an air filter with a depression MERV rating? It'due south all nearly airflow. If you utilize loftier MERV-rated filters at your render vent AND at your HVAC unit, then y'all run the hazard of having low airflow problems.

What if in that location is no air filter at your HVAC unit of measurement?

If there is no air filter at your HVAC unit, and then you absolutely demand a return vent filter. We recommend using a MERV-5 to MERV-8 pleated air filter in your render vent. In this case, the return vent filter will be the primary air filter. And so it will serve as the merely line of defence confronting dust and particles entering your HVAC system.

Should you use a filter in your return vent?

For well-nigh homes, return vents filters are suggested. They typically won't cause any damage to your HVAC organisation and are easy to install – there'due south no need for an HVAC technician.

Besides having a good primary filter, render vent filters can resolve this trouble immediately upon placing one on the vent. Bank check to ensure that your air conditioner doesn't have issues with getting air through the vents in the first place; if so, the filter could block your airflow. Nevertheless if your Air conditioning is in tip-pinnacle shape, it'southward more than fix for a return vent filter upgrade.

Hither are some reasons why vent filters are recommended:

Fast setup time – Y'all can have your vent filter's installation completed in mere minutes.
Immediate results – Return vent filters pose fiddling take a chance to your HVAC unit. It simply pre-cleans the air that passes in your home'due south central HVAC arrangement. Yous'll run into a difference in air quality immediately, particularly if you utilize them on all of your vent grilles. Just remember to change them often (well-nigh in one case a month), peculiarly if they go really dirty.
Works with more than air conditioners – Vent filters are great when used on some fans and even heaters, then long equally the filter isn't too close to the estrus source. If y'all have a forced-air heater or AC with duct tubing, try placing a filter on its render vent to cut back on the dust that's commonly spread by such systems.

When NOT to apply a render vent filter

Sometimes, problems could exist with an AC system that return vent filters can't prepare. This could include openings in the ducts or tubing that'due south improperly sealed. In this instance, no amount of filters will gear up the problem.

Furthermore, if there'southward any sort of erosion to the duct interior, a vent filter won't work since air could pass through the area with the opening. Whatsoever issues with your furnace or Air-conditioning itself could prevent air from traveling by the vents properly, forcing it to piece of work harder to heat/cool your habitation.

In brusque, ensure that your organisation and its vents are allowing air to flow properly earlier setting upwardly a render vent filter.

Cut to fit air filters

If your return vent is an odd shape or size, and so yous can use cut-to-fit air filters. These types of filters normally come with velcro strips to concord them to your vent.

By using velcro strips, your filters will remain in place until y'all're set to take them downwardly for replacement. When y'all change your filters, y'all can reuse the velcro strips for the next set up of filters.

Vent Filter & Vent Register Filters Kit

These air filters cutting and stick easily with included velcro. They are efficient enough to filter out common household particles, but also lightweight enough to have minimal touch on airflow.

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How to install a render vent filter

Here'due south a quick tutorial for installing a cut-to-fit filter on your return vent:

Make clean the vent – Turn off your HVAC unit of measurement and open the vent grille. Make clean the duct and decide whether or non you want to identify it inside or outside of the grille. In some cases, it might be necessary for you to keep it on the within, more than so if your filter's record doesn't hold well.
Cut to shape – Many return vent filter brands consist of rolls, where you must cut it to suit to the shape of your vent. Apply the tape first, ensuring that you lot don't overlap the fins on the grille. To become the best cutting possible, apply scissors and a direct edge to measure out out the shape.
Press to attach – Printing the filter onto the tape you secured to the grille and hold for several seconds. If you lot're using velcro, it will attach instantly and you won't demand to hold it down.

Vent filters are sometimes poorly shaped and require that the user cut them to mimic the shape of their vent covering. Although easy to do, this can brand irresolute them out a balmy inconvenience.

Supply vent filters versus render vent filters

What are the differences betwixt supply and return vent filters? For starters, supply vent filters are tasked with screening out whatsoever residual contaminants from your AC/furnace. Whereas return vent filters foreclose outdoor particles from entering your HVAC system in the first place.

If you lot are having air quality issues, then supply vent filters volition just mask the problem without actually making it go away. If there is dust blowing out of your supply vent, then there is a bigger issue with your system. Your system might have an air leak, and dingy air is leaking in from your garage or cranium. Or the organization might be very muddy and crave a thorough cleaning.

Return vent filters do the opposite, they aid filter out contaminants from ever entering your system in the first place. A return vent filter volition keep your air handler, ducts, and coils clean past filtering out particulates at the indicate of air intake. For some homeowners, a return vent filter could be the solution that keeps their HVAC system running clean and efficiently.