Watch out for those cheap 'lifetime' air filters on Amazon

I grabbed a 4-pack of those no-name furnace filters for $12 last month and they looked fine at first. After 3 weeks my AC unit started freezing up and the repair guy said the airflow was basically blocked because the material was too dense. Has anyone else had a cheap filter wreck your HVAC system?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmam8922d ago

Robert how often are you changing them exactly?

roberts.leo22d ago

Honestly wonder if the repair guy was just trying to sell you something or blame the easiest thing. I've used those cheap Amazon filters for years and never had any freezing issues, but I also change them every month without fail. Maybe your unit was already struggling or the filter was just way too thick for your system's specs. Idk, seems like a lot of people blame the filter when it could be a refrigerant leak or something else.

claire_young7621d ago

Yeah I actually read something recently about how airflow restriction from a dirty or too-thick filter can cause freezing, since the cold coils don't get enough warm air moving over them. @emmam89 might be onto something with their question, because if you're changing them every month on the dot that's probably fine but most people forget. So I think there's some truth to it being a cheap filter issue, but only if you let it get caked up or use one that's way too high of a MERV rating for your system.