Rant: Used to cheap out on furnace filters every 3 months, now I spend $28 on a good one once a year

I used to grab those $5 fiberglass filters at Home Depot in Calgary and swap them every 3 months like clockwork, but after my HVAC guy showed me the dust caked on my blower motor last winter I switched to a MERV 11 filter that costs more upfront but only needs changing every 12 months - anyone else notice a difference in their heating bills or am I just getting ripped off by the filter industry?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliotm577d ago

Wait, does your HVAC guy get a kickback from filter sales or something? I thought the whole point of cheap filters was changing them often so the air flows better, and thick pleated ones can actually choke your system if you don't have a high-end blower.

the_leo7d ago

Yeah the real savings is in keeping your equipment clean, not just the air quality. Thicker pleated filters catch way more before it gets into the system and that adds up over time on energy costs.

anna4917d ago

So you're saying the thicker filter actually helps with energy bills over time? I used to think those expensive pleated ones were just a marketing gimmick but after trying one my furnace runs way less often in the winter.