alright smart folks out there....... can any ac unit use the pleated filters? we started using them about a month ago b/c i was told they will cut down on the dust in your house. ok.....it has not seemed as cold since then. NOW.....yesterday there was ice starting to form on the unit. after a quick search of 4042 and google we let it stay off over night and went back to the old filters hoping this would work. the pleated ones seem so much thicker like the unit would have to work harder.
I have had more than one AC person tell me to never use those fancy filters because they cause the unit to work harder. They always recommend the cheap blue ones.
precious i hope you are right!!! we paid out the rear for an ac part last year and we go on vacation next week!!!! ggggrrrrr!!!
I don't think the fancy ones work any better anyway. Really when it comes down to it, I think a filter is basically designed to simply protect the central air unit and not really to cut down on dust. I tried one of those three month filters awhile back and I couldn't tell any difference in the amount of dust collected after 30 days nor could I see any change in the utility bill.
I've used them all, and there isn't enough difference in any of them as far as performance. I always change them every 30 days, religiously. I use the cheaper ones now.
Everyone here has really hit the nail on the head. Use the cheap filters and change them religiously or when you make your house payment. If you think they aren't doing a good enough job change them sooner. The thicker ones do restrict the air flow enough so that the transfer of temperature doesn't happen quickly enough from the coil to the air since there isn't enough air passing through it. Therefore the coil freezes up and you start having a problem. This will also happen if you don't change your filter enough and it gets so dirty that it restricts the air flow. For some reason people really hate paying a diagnostic fee to the HVAC companies when they come out to tell them that they don't change their filters and its causing the coil to freeze up and prevent air from being pulled through it. But it's not free to ride to their house either!
gosh i hope the house is frozen when i get home!! someone go check for me! how often do you need coolant or freon....whatever it is called?
