AC Filter material?

[Montana_70]

Has anyone found any filter material to use that's a step up from the dark grey sponge type filter material that comes with our units? I have looked around but have found that most higher grade filter material is too thick.

A curious mind wants to know.

[CountryGuy]

Great question fla native, I'll be checking back on this one!

[sreigle]

BJ, just curious - is your filter not doing the job? I never thought about changing ours but now wonder if that's something I should do?
Thanks.

[Montana_70]

Steve,

I guess it's doing the it's job. I do change it often. A couple of times a month, whether it needs it or not.

In May 2002 when I purchased my first unit, I remember finding this filter material in an old, old, hardware store, that I could cut easily, it had some body to it and just felt like a good filter. It also was just thick enough but not too thick. Really liked it. The hardware store is gone. I let this filter go off in my old unit. Why? Don't know.

I would like a filter with some body to it. Not this flimsy foam.

[sreigle]

Thanks, BJ. I've just been periodically removing ours, running it under the faucet to rinse out all the dirt, wringing it out, and putting it back in place. So far it seems to work good. I thought maybe you found it is not as effective as a better filter would be.

Thanks.

[Dustytuu]

I had a furnace filter on a stick house a few years ago, with this same material. A heating and aircondition place may have this material. They still make furnaces that take those filters.

[DiananColin]

I also wash my filter. I take it out every couple of weeks when we are travelling and wash it out in warm water, leave it to dry and then put it back. At the same time I do that I also clean my fan because that can get very dirty.

[campbud]

I wash mine to under the sink and then put it back on ...seems to be working out ok.

[Montana_4353]

I use a electrostatic "cloth" type thing with the spongy one that came with my AC unit. We have 2 dogs and fulltime in the TT atm and wanted a little better filtration. You wouldn't believe how much stuff gets in the other filter. I cannot remember the exact name of it, but I get it from Home Depot in the filter department. It's in a red box that's about 1"x4"x5" and I believe it is made by 3M. Its a sheet of material that is used in the home filters. The sheet lasts me quite a while. I have made a template and cut a piece off. I put the cloth on the grill, the spongy thing on top and put all three back up. Sorry that I don't have the exact info on the brand and such, I just cut them out, stack them in the drawer for later, and throw the box away for storage reasons.

[Thunderman]

Wal-mart has a filter which can be cut to size. Perhaps a charcoal activated filter...can't remember the name. Retail was less than $4.00.