Jay, a home inspector from Virginia, posted this great information recently.  Replacing your air filter is as important as replacing it correctly.  A tenant in a home that I rent out, complained during a very hot spell in July, that their air conditioner stopped working.  I found that the compressor had iced up because he had not replace the air filter in so long that it was restricting air flow, creating very cold sections near the compressor that iced up with the accompanying excess humidity...

Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):

It is probably true that on half the home inspections I do the filter is installed backwards.  It is important that the filter be installed the right way!  Why?  Because one side is stronger and meant to handle the air flow's pressure.  There is an arrow drawn on every filter to tell you the air flow direction.  Put in backwards, and as it gets loaded with dust, the filter can literally get sucked into the system and even cause damage to the fan.

Someone took the time to draw which way the filter should be installed.

That way, when it is put into the slot, you only have to put the arrow on the filter in the direction of the arrows drawn on the return duct.

What if the arrows are drawn wrong?

THESE ARROWS ARE POINTING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!

How do you know which way the air blows?

The air will always be drawn TOWARD the blower.  From the blower it gets heated in the furnace or cooled on the AC coils.

So the air-flow arrows on the filter should point TOWARD blower.

This unit is 5 years old.  It was filthy.  The ducts in the house were filthy.  Could it be the bad information on the arrows contributing to that?

My recommendation:  If you don't know which way the air is blowing, put a piece of toilet paper on the end of a pair of pliers and stick it into the slot.  See which way the paper is drawn.  That is your air flow direction!  Don't believe me?  Check it yourself.  AND THEN DRAW YOUR ARROWS THE RIGHT WAY!

Chris Smith CSSBB
          Sales Representative

Interested in Buying or Selling Real Estate?

  ph: 1.866.936.3500

Re/Max
Chay Realty Inc., Brokerage

 

4 Comments on Get To Know Your Air Flow

AUG
31
2010
458,127 Points 1 Featured Post

Hi Chris, it is a very good post, thanks for putting it up again!
12:12am • #1
806,112 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Chris - In electronic air cleaners, the filter needs to be cleaned regularly.
7:28am • #2
996,840 Points 362 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks for the reblog Chris!  I think this was an instructive post.
3:56pm • #3
1,202,096 Points 32 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

This was a great post that we missed Chris, thanks for re-blogging it. Great information! Never thought much about the air filters on the furnace in the summer time. 
6:24pm • #4


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