Furnace filter options.

[Chad Sheets]

We are just getting into our new home. There is alot of dust and debris in the air ducts from all the building that went on. I was trying to find a way to get as much of that dirt out as possible.



Is there any oil you can put on the filter to catch all the dirt without smelling the whole house up?



I can just do a new filter every week for a month or so untill I get it all filtered out if nothing else. You know me, always trying to find a better way.

 

[ETOBICOKE]

Duct Cleaning

We have our ducts cleaned by a home service company. Sears usualy has a contractor to do this.

They use a large vac, more like a dust collector mounted on a truck,that is connected to the main ducts with a large hose. They use compressed air to scrub each section of ducting, working towards the vac connection points on the main duct.

If it's a new house, get the builder to do it for you, contractors are notorious for sweeping all the junk into the duct work.



Neil

 

[illflem]

Chad, I bought a spray bottle of furnace filter treatment for $3 from Ace hardware years ago, have barely made a dent in it, works great. I don't think it is oil, but makes the filter very tacky, picks up much more dust than a dry filter. Smells a little when you put it on, but the smell doesn't carry into the house. If you are concerned about any fumes from particle board, paint, Formica glue, etc Grainger has furnace filters with activated charcoal inside that traps the fumes. Leave the fan on manual for a few months

 

[Amianthus]

This is what I use.

http://content.honeywell.com/yourhome/eiac-air_cleaners/f50.htm



That is what I just installed. I like it alot. They are dishwasher washable too. It's not cheap but it does work very well. I think this one is about 95% efficient. The spec. sheets are on that site. The only down side is that you get the smell of ozone in the house. Some people object to that. It doesn't bother me. Also, it keeps the dust in the house down. So my wife doesn't have to dust as often (as if she ever did). Although, after extended use (years) the walls of your house will get a little dirtier. Just one more thing you should know about ionizing air cleaners.

 

[Joe]

3M furnace filters

Get a 3M Furnace filter. They come in various filtering capacities/abilities. Use the red label Filtrete model for the finest particles. It is excellent for pet dander, pollen, and drywall dust. Run the fan 24 hr a day for a week. Vacuum everything and dust everything. Can also use a box fan with a 3M filter duct taped to the inlet side of the fan for more efficient room by room cleaning. You will notice a difference. Usually about $12 per filter and expect 3 month use.

 

[RHARVEY]

We bought this filter at Home Depot that you give it a good wash once a month and put it back. I know with a new house they get dirty real fast. I like the idea of having the contractor clean the ducts out before you move it.

What will make the hairs on your neck raise is the first time you use the heater. The first time our heater ran for a period of time, the fire alarms all over the house went off. The contractor said that its normal until all the stuff burns off of the burners. This lasted about 45 min. then they shut off and hasn't done it since. . We have been in the house for 2 years now... .



Rick

 

[Wayne M.]

The 3M filters are the way to go. I did some sheetrock/spackle work near the main register, and I believe the filter did a very good job trapping the dust that got away. I change every 3 months because I have central air, causing the system to run all year long. When I change them they are real dirty, kinda like a car air filter! That tells me they work!

 

[C Schomer]

I built a filter track to hold 2 - 24x24x2 Farr 30/30 commercial filters. Years ago, I did this for prefilters in front of my Honeywell electric air cleaner because the birdscreens in the EAC filled up so fast. I never had to clean the EAC again because the 30/30's worked so well. That's when I found out how good the 30/30's are compared to an EAC! I was'nt expecting that because 30/30's are at the bottom end of the commercial spectrum of filters. I use 80-85%(minumum)in the air handlers at work. The 30/30's are rated 25-30% average at 1 mic. over the life of the filter. They are a little better than the 3M's. Media air filters go up in efficiency as they load up and EAC's fall on their face as soon as there is ANY accumulation of dust. Air filters are one of the worst product there is for inaccurate MFGR specs. Many are like a 6hp Sears shopvac that only draws 10 amps - OH PELEEZE!! Don't get too carried away with furnace filters! Residential systems can't handle much static and if you use too 'tight' of a filter you will hurt the efficiency of the furnace(and shorten the life) by raising delta T. That's why I built such a big track in mine. A $13 filter change is good for the entire winter. It's also futile to try to clean the air to the point of making your house a 'cleanroom' because you'll never get the air exchanges and reduce infiltration enough to come close! Craig