Furnace filters

[zxcvbob]

We had a new furnace installed a little over a year ago (just a furnace, no A/C) and it has a 20x25x5" filter.  I'm used to 1" filters that you replace every couple of months.  Home Depot only has 8 MERV filters for about $40 each, and the OEM filter is 11 MERV.  So I ordered a 2-pack of filters from Amazon for about $40.  They got here today.  Looks like a really good filter, but it's about 1/2" thicker than my old filter and wouldn't fit.  (I crushed it and made it fit, don't know if that was a good idea or not because it's probably not sealing around the edges after I shoved it in there)

A little wiser now, I search for 20x25x5 filters and see that the come in all different actual sizes.     Am I pretty much stuck buying filters from now on from the HVAC company that installed the furnace?  Or finding someone that sells the exact filter I removed?  What about the extra too-thick filter I jsut bought that's still in the plastic wrap? 

Just a guess, I should be fine until the filter gets dirty and more restrictive, then it will start leaking around the edges.  So the 2 filters I bought should last me the season, like one properly-fitting filter would.

[K Frame]

Search for the proper filter dimensions and thickness.

The big problem is a lot of filters are only nominal thickness and can run larger or smaller than the intended dimensions.

Sometimes not a problem, other times a big problem. My unit takes 20x20x1 filters. Anything over 1/8th of an inch larger than 20" and I'm completely boned. It also has a very stupid "carrier" into which the filter fits. Basically a rectangular channel with a handle on it. Suppose to make it easier to get the filter in and out. I discovered I can omit that piece and get a little extra wiggle room for fitting.

A few months ago I said screw it (I was tired of measuring pack after pack of filters and rejecting 75% of them because they were too big) so I got a permanent filter.


In your case, I'd pick one of the online suppliers like Filters Fast or Crucial Vacuum and call their customer service and tell them what you've been running into and see if they can offer any suggestions.

[K Frame]

Filters fast, on this page, gives nominal and actual dimensions, and it looks like this would be a lot better fit for your system if they are compatible.

https://www.filtersfast.com/P-Trion-Air-Bear-Supreme-2000-Filters-3-Pack-20x25x5.asp?kpid=259112-102+3pk&fsrc=G1F5F&gclid=CjwKEAiA7ejCBRDlp8uF6ezPnjoSJAAPED7MG8vsYWkgYnDOzIEJkW4-sH2cl6V4j6AaPWiybzcKBhoClr7w_wcB

[Chester32141]

I've been happy w/ these guys ... http://www.airfiltersdelivered.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand - Exact&utm_term=air filters delivered&utm_content=Brand - General

[Jim147]

What are the true measurements on the original filter? Got and brand name and part number?

I now a guy that sells filters. 

[zxcvbob]

What are the true measurements on the original filter? Got and brand name and part number?

I now a guy that sells filters. 

The original filter is "Healthy Climate" brand, model HCF20-11 20x25x5"  and it says the replacement part number is X6673, and the higher MERV upgrade would be X6675

Actual filter size is (from the label) 19 3/4" x 24 3/4" x 4 3/8", and my tape measure generally agrees with that.  True length and width is maybe 1/8" smaller, and the thickness is spot on.  The thickness is the critical dimension.

I wish I'd known that the actual sizes were not standardized.   

[K Frame]

Didn't you know that filter manufacturing is very similar to weather forecasting?

You can be wildly wrong and STILL claim that you're right!