Oil Furnace Filters- Always Clean

[Zee09]

I have a 4 year old Carrier performance 80 oil fired furnace
Calls for 3 month filter replacements- I use the Ace Hardware 8 Merv pleated filters- About $5 each-work great
At 3 months they are spotless- went 6 months spotless- now 9 months- white as can be -see right through them.
I'm thinking about just changing them once a year. If I put the old next to the new you have to try hard to see a difference.
No cheapness they are just not dirty- anyone else? Oh 16x20 size

 

[Donald]

I just had a media box installed which uses a 5" thick filer. Its Merv 11. Only because they do not recommend a Merv 13 in this application.

 

[JC1]

Depending on the house, flooring materials used, cleanliness of house and how many pets you have etc the filters may not get that dirty. We have hard surface floors on main floor and basement of our house and low pile carpet in three of the four bedrooms. Filter gets dirty after about three months of winter use.

I just did Aeroseal on the duct work in July, so the ducts are sealed tighter, it will be interesting to see if the filter gets dirtier faster this winter.

Filters are one inch thick 16*25 Merv 8.

 

[wymi516]

20x25x6 filter in our system, changed at 6 months with 3 cats in the house and mostly hard surface floors. Filter looks darker for sure but never seen it look so bad I thought it needed changed sooner then 6 months.

 

[Oildudeny]

Thick filters increase head pressure and put a heavier load on blow motor.

 

[Imp4]

Filter cleanliness is a function of the dust and particulate level in your home, not the fuel specification of your furnace.
If your filters are still clean after 3 months then consider yourself lucky.
Mine seem to get gunked up in the spring during pollen season but I can run one for about 8 months after that.
I guess I'm on the 4-month, 8-month change interval.

 

[JustinH]

I have a 4 inch media filter in our new house.

I throw it out on a three month schedule, it usually looks fine after three months but I already have a new one in hand, so in it goes.

Have had excellent service from Nordic Pure.

I went from my normal MERV 11 Filter, to a MERV 8 Baking Soda, and noticed no change in smell. But I did notice a little more dust floating in the air so will probably go back to MERV 11.

Furnace is specified for MERV 11 Honeywell Element.

We have two cats.

 

[Donald]

Was

Thick filters increase head pressure and put a heavier load on blow motor.

Not really true. The thicker filter provides better filtering and more capacity.

 

[53' Stude]

I have a 4 year old Carrier performance 80 oil fired furnace
Calls for 3 month filter replacements- I use the Ace Hardware 8 Merv pleated filters- About $5 each-work great
At 3 months they are spotless- went 6 months spotless- now 9 months- white as can be -see right through them.
I'm thinking about just changing them once a year. If I put the old next to the new you have to try hard to see a difference.
No cheapness they are just not dirty- anyone else? Oh 16x20 size

Better question is what brand of fuel oil filter is on the furnace

 

[Zee09]

Better question is what brand of fuel oil filter is on the furnace

I modified a "used" FL 820's - very free flowing

 

[ZeeOSix]

I modified a "used" FL 820's - very free flowing

Was it torn?

 

[Zee09]

Was it torn?

Yes but only in seven places.
Still the best though.