Best furnace filters according to redditors
We found 124 Reddit comments discussing the best furnace filters. We ranked the 84 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 124 Reddit comments discussing the best furnace filters. We ranked the 84 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
My experience with dust and RVs is summarized here. This approach keep the RV reasonably clean the entire burn, and I usually can get it spotless in less than 4 hours post Burn (2 people working).
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Here's most of the post -- formatting is better on the link and there's info re the issues with bike racks covering license plates, etc. on the link as well:
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Preparing the RV for Burning Man
The best thing you can do to make sure your RV doesn’t get damaged at Burning Man or require extensive cleanup is to do the right prep work.
Floors. First, protect the floors. If you have wood floors, use red rosin paper like this. If you have carpet, use disposable carpet protection like this. Bring enough to change the protection a few times during your burn. One roll of the red rosin paper allows us to change the main area three times during the event in our 34' RV.
Windows. Next, cover all rubber molding on the outside of the RV with either high quality painters tape or (better yet) gaffer tape. Cleaning molding is very challenging, and the tape will not only keep it clean, but also keep dust from getting under it. Make sure it’s wide enough to the edges of the molding - at least 2”. The gaffer tape is significantly more expensive, but is easy to remove and won’t leave a film. If you are using painter tape, be sure to test it on a small area before going by affixing it to some molding and then running a hair dryer on it to heat it up. If it passes the test, be sure to also check once or twice during the Burn to ensure it doesn’t leave a sticky residue when you remove it.
An alternative technique is to entirely cover the windows with some type of plastic film and tape it on. People typically use a clear plastic film. We avoid doing this because the high winds can very easily tear the film at the time you need it most.
We do this stage while waiting in line at the entrance gate. Be sure to have a ladder or tough bin you can stand on to reach all the windows.
Outside Vents and Seams. Once on the playa, if your RV expands, tape up any seams around the pop outs after you are fully extended. Here’s where extra wide painters tape (4”) works great.
Finally, cover any vent holes that aren’t used during your Burn, being careful not to obstruct any working vents. A note on roof AC vents. We used to use a hammock filter on our outside AC vents. In normal conditions, these can be used to keep dust out of AC vents, and will permit airflow so can be in place while AC is running. Problem is, we have never gotten them to stay in place long in the high winds in the playa. So we gave up. We’ve seen very few people with these in place so our advice is to skip this step.
Inside Windows. You will want to cover all of the inside of your windows with insulated bubble wrap like this Reflectix product. Cover every inch of window on the inside, and tape it down. It makes a huge difference.
Some people swear by also using Reflectix on the roof of the RV. This will absolutely reduce the temperature of your RV. But you must be sure to affix the wrap so it won’t blow off. And we have seen many examples of well taped materials blowing away. If you are going to go this route, consider supplementing an excellent taping job with some 20 lb weights or the like to ensure that the material stays in place during a dust storm.
Finally, cover all the chairs and couches. We use a combination of fitted bed sheets taped or clipped in place and Press n’ Seal cling film. A little experimentation will tell you which works best where. Press n’ Seal will work on the dash board and other surfaces you won’t be using and want to keep clean.
Keeping Your RV Clean
Get an old stained rug….. people will sell these for next to nothing or give them away. 6x6 feet is big enough, but larger works too. Put this in front of your RV, and either weigh it down or use lag bolts to screw it to the playa. Place a non-shedding door mat on the carpet right when you walk in to the RV, so you can scrape your shoes. (Don’t use a mat with small fibers - they will shed, and leave you a heck of a cleanup job…hard learned life lesson). Have a bucket at the door so you can immediately remove your shoes on the steps of the RV, and place them in the bucket. Consider also hanging a sheet from the ceiling over the inside of your RV door creating an “air lock” entrance which will reduce dust blowing into the RV. We’ve moved away from doing this, as we haven’t found it necessary if you just open and close the RV door quickly (in all conditions!). But if you are more casual about getting in and out, this approach will help reduce dust blowing in.
This setup significantly reduces any dust you will track in on your feet. But your clothes may also be covered in dust, so consider having clean clothes available to change into. Our RV also has a chair right when you walk in, which we cover in a sheet that is changed several times during the Burn - it’s the place we sit when we are dusty but don’t want to change our clothes immediately.
A few times during the Burn we will do a good cleaning of the RV, dusting surfaces, and removing the paper from the floor, cleaning the floor and putting down new paper.
We use a high quality broom to sweep out the RV, which we have found to be more effective than using a portable vacuum. We also have an electric leaf blower and small air compressor, which with practice can be used to move dust around… it takes some skill to move it where you want to move it, so proceed with caution and avoid just creating a huge dust cloud. The leaf blower is really reserved for blowing out external storage areas, and blowing dust out of the engine compartment of the RV before driving home.
We keep a sheet over our bed when we aren’t sleeping in it, and carefully fold it up before getting into bed to catch any dust that has settled during the day. We usually change the bed twice at the burn.
We keep our dirty clothing in clear plastic trash bags, to contain the dust, and often remove and put on really dusty clothing outside the RV in our external storage compartments.
All these efforts combine to our RV being quite clean upon our return home.
Cleaning Up After
Once we leave the playa we pull over and remove all the external tape, so it doesn’t blow off on the drive home. We stop at the guy with the pressure sprayer in Cedarville. Gerlach has a wash as well that benefits the community. In Cedarville, we like to just do it ourselves rather than risk him damaging the glass or molding, and he’s more than happy to take a break while we do it. It’s cheap….something like $15. It’s not a perfect cleaning, just getting enough dust off the RV so when we get home we can wash it well without leaving a layer of mud on the street.
Once home we slowly and carefully remove all the sheets and cling film covering the furniture in the RV, as well as stripping the bed. We then carefully roll up the paper off the floor and dispose of it. This effectively removes almost all the dust in the RV.
We then use our air compressor to blow dust out of all the crevices.
Next, we wipe all surfaces down. If they are fairly dusty, we start with wiping everything down with a dry huck towel (the brand in the link is our favorite by far). Next we wipe with a dry microfiber cloth. By getting almost all of the dust off before any water is used, you make the final sponge cleaning very simple…no muddy smears.
We use a 50-50 mix of water and white vinegar to wipe down all the other surfaces and to do a final cleaning of the floor, cleaning our sponges regularly. The entire cleaning process typically takes around 2 hours on the interior. We pressure wash the outside, which adds another hour to do it well. Three hours of cleaning and the RV looks close to perfect.
Note: Renting, borrowing or buying a large air compressor is a great way to clean all of your burner gear. Our bikes look almost new every year after spending an hour with the air compressor and an oil bath for the chain. Be careful not to blow dust into bearings, etc., just work the non-lubricated areas. A leaf blower is great for a first pass, and between the two you will be shocked how clean you can get all your gear.
Some people recommend going to a laundromat to clean clothing, but we have never had a problem washing in our own machine. Your mileage may vary! We generally do small loads of all machine washable stuff, and then re-wash a second time with standard size loads. Wiping down the machine and then re-washing my white socks using white vinegar leaves the washing machine spotless and the socks surprisingly white.
Other resources.
The official Burning Man RV page
Good pointers for an RV at Burning Man
They need to be able to filter wood smoke, which is unfortunately one of the smaller particles (1 micrometer), so the filter needs to be super dense. It needs to be at least MERV rating 17.
I don't think you can buy MERV 17 right away. It's typically achieved by two-stage filtration. There are some MERV 14 filters, like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUDHBWS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ZM10CbKXP458M
It's better than nothing, but it wont reliably filter all wooden smoke particles.
If you're susceptible to smoke (allergies or something), buy a standalone filter unit with HEPA filter (and carbon prefilter for odors). Typical HEPA is MERV 18-20+, but you cant put HEPA into the typical AC unit. Like this one - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8DAYII/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_8U10Cb3QSG2QB
Edit: added links
Materials:
Gut this wall clock
Cut this in half and adhere around board. I used carpet tape
Stick these LEDs around the inner perimeter
note that these LEDs were intentionally chosen for their brightness and color, you can use others but I can't guarantee you'll like the illumination
Plug this guy in between the power supply and LEDs for a power switch
That's it! Now just pressure fit that bad boy on top of the foam you adhered around your board and this thing stays put, it's super sturdy and super sleek, way less intrusive than the retail options available right now I think.
Other commenters are completely correct, but I'll just add on a little bit, and make a list for you.
I tried to silence my printer a few weeks ago, and it was a bit of work, but it was worth it. You're going to have to spend a bit of money, but it's totally worth it.
Please explain "you cleaned the bottom of the CPU?"
I sure hope you aren't talking about the center of the bottom! That part has many SMD's and should not be touched.
On what surface did you work on the CPU? Did you work on kitchen or wood/tile floor or on carpet?
I've never seen anyone kill a CPU by delidding, except on HEDT CPU's. That's because HEDT's have caps next to the die, by the IHS, and a delid that isn't using the correct kit can cause the IHS to slide over the caps and shear them off. Der8auer explicitly mentioned this in one of his videos. But that is clearly not a problem if all caps are intact.
Delidding a HEDT CPU is far far more risky than a regular consumer chip (e.g. 9900K, 8700K) even ones that are not soldered, all because of those caps.
What nail polish did you use ?? It is made clear that *ONLY* nitrocellulose based nail polish should be used. You can also use conformal coating. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008O9YIV6/
How many coats of nail polish did you use? Usually its recommended to use about 3 coats, letting each coat dry before applying another one.
The laptop issue is surprising. I've probably applied LM on my MSI laptop about god, 30 times now? And it hasn't died yet. I even damaged one of the screwhole HS mounts (Don't ask). Laptop still works fine. How is it possible to break a laptop like this? Did any LM spill out anywhere? Did you check? Did you use a cutout foam dam as a complete spill barrier like I recommend for any direct die LM applications? (this includes delid direct die LGA (desktop), not just BGA)). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2US/
Are you sure you didn't kill the CPUs by static shock or something? Killing a LGA *AND* BGA chip has me very suspicious about what you actually did.
Y'all are over-thinking this... Get this
Ah, gotcha! I used these 25x25x1 air filters on mine, but I lack a door so I understand now.
But it looks like the same air filters I bought do exist in smaller sizes such as 14x14x1 and similar.
But nice to see someone else trying to prevent dust lol
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMKKLPV/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_Zi8MDbW8X3WWS
$60 and is compatible with 3M filters.
You got it my friend!
Shelving - $90
Shelf Cover - $30
Landscape Fabric - $33
Storage Totes (6 pack) - $50
Local Temp/Humidity Gauges (12 pack) - $23
Incubation Tote Filters - $10
Sterlite Medium Stacking Basket (6 pack) - $15
Humidifier - $26
Standard Fan - Already Owned
Sonoff R2 Wifi Switches (4 pack) - $23
Sonoff TH16 Sensor Switch - $20
1500W Immersion Heater - $45
Standard Cooler w/ Drain - Already Owned
In total, it was a $350 project that could definitely have been done for cheaper, but I wanted to design it in a way that made it as painless as possible to turn my cardboard into mushrooms.
Also, I have an old space heater/fan combo that I intend to use when the temperature starts to drop. I plan to automate it with one of the Sonoff Wifi switches and control it with the Sonoff temp sensor.
Buy cheap MERV-2 AC/furnace filters (non pleated high air flow fiberglass filters). Attach to air intake and change monthly. (Could even cut them to size, making them even more cheap.)
Here's a cheap 12-pack for $20 that will last you a year: http://www.amazon.com/Flanders-PrecisionAire-10255-011414-Filter-12-Pack/dp/B008LR895C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452030728&sr=8-1&keywords=spun+glass+filter
Unfortunately, this design will have zero impact on PM2.5 pollution levels, which is what causes most of the long term health problems.
The data sheet for the suggested 3M Filtrete filters clearly states that they do not filter PM2.5 pollution. The MPR 2200 is designed to handle PM2.5 pollution, but it's only rated to remove 94% of particles per pass, compared to 99% for a proper HEPA filter. Additionally, this type of filter will have a high flow resistance, requiring a larger and noisier fan for a given air flow. So swapping to a properly rated filter is still going to result in a system that's only good for very small volumes.
A good air purifier needs three things: A way to accurately measure pollution levels, a HEPA filter capable of filtering 2.5µm particles, and a fan capable of recirculating sufficient air for the intended space.
A laser PM2.5 sensor costs $29. A HEPA+activated charcoal filter costs $95. A fan with sufficient static pressure to work with the filter and circulate enough air for a small room, with electronics, is about $76. There's probably $10 in a micro-controller and associated electronics to integrate the PM2.5 sensor with the fan, and then another $20-30 for a robust enclosure. So to build something that actually works will cost a minimum of about $220-230 USD.
To pay for assembly labour, and other overheads associated with manufacturing, certification, and support, a rule of thumb is to multiply the material costs by 2.5. Economies of scale can sometimes bring this down, but it's usually a good estimate. So to purchase a functional air purifier, you should expect to pay around $550 USD.
It shouldn't surprise anyone then that the ~900 RMB air purifiers produced by companies like Xiaomi "Leaves air unsafe for 86% of the time".
Duck Brand 284423 Window Air Conditioner Insulating Strip Seal, 2.25-Inch x 2.25-Inch x 42-Inch
https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Conditioner-Insulating-2-25-Inch-284423/dp/B002GKC2U8
Cut it in two, put it in both front seats cracks. Shit works like a charm, and hella cheaper. Isn't even noticeable if you have a dark interior.
https://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Ultrafine-Particle-Reduction-Throughout/dp/B00TUDHVDW this one goes down to 0.3 micron... and the price goes up respectively.
I’m using foam padding for window unit A/C like this stuff. You can get it from Lowe’s/Home Depot/etc.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GKC2U8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_W0cCCbJXFZ6AG
I just cut off a 1x1x1 cube and feed my filament through it before I load filament into my printer.
https://www.amazon.com/Accumulair-Diamond-30x30x1-Furnace-Filters/dp/B000NNZ0QS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=30x30x1+air+filters&qid=1559265013&s=gateway&sprefix=30x&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Protection-Allergen-Reduction-Increases-29-5x29-5x1/dp/B07FQWJPB1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=30x30x1+air+filters&qid=1559265044&s=gateway&sprefix=30x&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
One search away
For an intake filter you can just buy some of the filter cloth used for household vents, cut it to size and tape it to the end of your intake ducting, cheap and easy to replace and will keep all the crap from entering your tent.
Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Ventilaider-Complete-Installation-Electrostatic-Allergies/dp/B079MCBJWR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=Air+vent+filter&qid=1565015194&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Also you can usually connect your outtake filter directly to your fan for maximum efficiency.
I'm thinking a washable filter media like this might be what's supposed to fit in there. Nothing about this looks right for standard filters.
When I purchased my house I found that the previous owner had Air-Care washable filters installed. They are extremely high quality but appear to restrict airflow quit a bit. If you have over sized registers for high efficiency filters then I would recommend. I'm personally going to go with FC40 filters. They're 3" thick filters designed to fit in registers that are meant for 1" filters and are good for up to a year.
https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Washable-Furnace-Filter-Electrostatic/dp/B01MYD6LBX
Set a reminder on your phone to change out your air filter every 3 months.
This stuff works great - https://www.amazon.com/VEGA-Furnace-Vent-Conditioner-Filter/dp/B01M4FAQSK/ Most hardware stores will carry it. I think at my local Do-it-best hardware store its called "hogs hair" filter.
I followed this tutorial a few months ago and its worked out pretty well. Used https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HTL3U6S/ and https://www.walmart.com/ip/Midea-International-20-in-WP-Black-Box-Fan/795907279
I find these air conditioner filters to work better, and they are cheaper. Just cut to size and use duct tape to hold it in place.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2US/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
run your furnace fan.. and get some ultrafine particle filters.
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https://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Ultrafine-Reduction-Throughout-Inhalable/dp/B00TUDHBWS
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>Captures micro-particles including: PM 2.5 air pollution, exhaust, soot, smoke, cough/sneeze debris, bacteria, viruses, and lint, dust, and pollen
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I cut a peice of this stuff out for my intakes. Cheap and reduces dust
Inside is bad asbestos. They make cuttable filter you can put behind the supply grills.
https://www.amazon.com/30x60-cut-Filtrete-Hammock-Filter/dp/B003DWE3OQ
Remove a supply grill and wrap the back with filter before reinstalling.
They will work for about 6 months .
If you can see the supply duct work, and it is indeed zoned, there should be some sort of electric motor visible from the outside of the duct. Sometimes there are 1 or 2 large dampers and sometimes there are a bunch of smaller dampers for each individual supply run. Pictures would really help to confirm. Models of your furnace and AC would also be really helpful to determine what features/functions they have. Because you already have 2 thermostat it is likely that you have zoning. The NEST and Lyric thermostats would work but you would definitely need 2. Some other brands include sensors that are controlled by 1 central thermostat. Models of you existing system will help determine.
example of smaller damper
example of zoning panel that controls dampers, you would have something like this installed on or near the furnace if you have zoning
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2US/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=inpurofmys-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B002GKC2US
Thanks! I was probably going to use one of these or these. I'm thinking building a duct and sending air through one 20x25 filter for each wall unit, and also for my air intake. Really sure how it will affect the units, although I was thinking I could add a boost fan later where needed.
...or maybe this one: better MERV
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Update Oct 17::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/diwk1p/air_exchange_upgrade_intake_filter_boost_fan/
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Nov. 4 Update::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ok, I've made some tentative new progress fixing my problem. I've basically decided I need to rebuild my crawlspace, and perhaps expand it in the process. I've come to realize that I think the vapor barrier was ripped when I had my initial problems with the groundhog, and at this point, doing a patch fix will be a major pain, and perhaps not good enough. Also I think some of the other groundhog proofing that was done DIY is probably causing some extra wood rot problems, and really should be removed. So I've come up with the plan to tear up the old crawlspace, and build a new one that goes the full width of the building, in the process installing a new vapor barrier, and adding a couple extra features to help with pest-proofing. In the end I should be left with a new 8'x25' tall crawlspace.
I've been in touch with a few contractors at this point, and have had a couple out to look at the site. I had one guy was obviously just trying to talk up the price, I was not able to get a quote from the other. I tried to get a quote from the concrete supplier although they couldn't quote me without a final plan. (I'm probably leaning more toward getting some handymen types to help me, at this point, as my initial contractor interactions have been mediocre to bad). In the mean time I've been looking into what materials I need. I went and bought some heavy duty plastic from Lowes the other day, and my roll of vapor-barrier-seam-tape just arrived today. I'm also thinking of getting a portable cement mixer, incase I decide to the project with bags(probably much cheaper that way). My local concrete supplier did provide some interesting ideas however about details/best-practices of doing the job: basically that it is a 2 part job, with a poured foundation, and then a masonry wall on top. Below is some "napkin math": I think I can probably get all of the materials for less than $2k, not including tool rentals(cement-pump, mixer, picks&shovels).
Pump trailers are not cheap: looks like the average cost to own is $30k-$50, although I guess it's just a question of how much a contractor would charge on the job. Also, I'm not sure if I actually need a pump, although pouring from the truck might be difficult(actually leaning more towards bags and a mixer at this point).
I'm still not sure about exactly what we want to do about the back wall. Does it need a back wall? part of the problem i'm trying to fix was that groundhogs dug around behind the old wall, and came in, ripping the plastic in the process. thinking perhaps I could do something clever with pavers on the outside to discourage this. and then there is the difficult quesiton of how to make the new plastic vapor barrier seamless with the old? looks like I've got my work cut out for me ;P
I have the same case and I'm considering buying something like this filter. I think the easiest solution to this is a cut to fit filter material.
Or maybe something like this?
Are the plastic filters like this technically electrostatic as well? It doesn't claim "electrostatic" anywhere on it and appears to have a much finer mesh.
You won't find any inline fans that can move enough air through that hose. You are going to need an air intake and sound will move through and across the ventilation.
Are you prepared to get enough power into that box? You will need a 15 to 20 amp 120 VAC circuit per S9. You can use the spare current from a 20 amp circuit to run your blower or run it's own circuit. You can hit up craigslist for a household hvac blower and that will move enough air. You could probably use a few layers of air filters on the intake and exhaust to reduce the noise level but these will greatly reduce air flow so you will need a blower that is significantly more powerful than you might think.
You will be building a box shaped tunnel with a few layers of air filters on the front and back. You will need a divider to mount the blower; so you final shape will be more like two boxes with one open side on each and a hole for the blower in between. The open sides are where you will mount the air filters. I suggest something like these with two or more on the intake and exhaust.
Honeywell damper system.
These things (in various circumference) driven by a Honeywell zone control board. https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-ARD12-Automatic-Damper-ARD-12/dp/B000LDIK7G
Here's the control board: https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HZ432K-Truezone-Zone-Panel/dp/B003IQVKDO
First of all - your neighbors suck. I have a similar issue but no a/c just like having the window open and not have the room fill with smoke.
Maybe something like this will work? https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Pure-Carbon-Window-Filter/dp/B01MU1VG3K
Alternatively, this year I am going to rig up a garden mister outside and below the window to mist the air and hopefully trap the smoke. And maybe discourage the idiot smoker.
Just throwing this in here in case anyone was looking for case fans also. There is a group buy going on in /r/massdrop for 120mm case fans.
http://massdrop.com/nzxt-fz-120mm-nonled-fan
Also to add i got the DEMCiflex magnetic covers for my antec 900 and they all fit nicely except the one for the rear fan since the rear fan grill bulges out of the case. I'd recommend their filters if you just want to buy and use.
If you want to make your own which might work better for some people use "polyurethane foam" as your material since it filters small particles fairly well and is reusable. If needed buy some magnetic tape to stick it where you want it to go otherwise you can just screw it into the fan and It'll work just as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Duck-1285234-24-Inch-15-Inch-Conditioner/dp/B002GKC2US
On this heading, given all the smoke of late, it may be worth it to spring for a higher-end air filter the next time around. Standard air filters don't do that great a job at filtering smoke out of the air. I recently changed air filters over to these (obviously get the size you need) and the difference in how they look when they are ready to be changed versus my old ones is massive. These look filthy when I go to change them after the same time period the old ones just looked dirty. The difference is all the stuff the standard ones were letting through. I don't tend to link-drop or promote specific products, but given the recent air quality concerns, wanted to make people aware not all air filters are created equal, or equally capable of handling smoke.