Conditions: Multi-stage open draft furnace with A/C coil and heat exchanger, two cats, central vacuum and our air ducts are professionally cleaned every few years. Our duct system was originally designed for a 16 x 20 x 1 inch filter. Our stove fan is set to medium-low for continuous circulation, medium-high for heating, and high for air conditioning. 7 Buy Branded Filters, From Washable to Expensive Filtrete Allergan Dust Filters Cheap filters and washable filters let in too many fine particles without stopping, expensive filters began to drastically restrict airflow after just a few weeks. I took her advice and modified the channel to accommodate a 4 inch thick filter. It worked much better with a 4 inch filter that ran for over 6 months before it started restricting airflow. After examining the used filter, it became clear that I needed a pre-filter to remove large particles and cat hair before the main filter. I opened it up and raised my canal an inch and added the washable WEB ECO filter that I bought earlier. That's a great combination. I only wash the washable filter once a month, when I wash the heat exchanger filters, it takes about two minutes. The MERV 15 Nordic Pure filter lasts at least a year in this configuration and thankfully captures almost all particles that pass through the washable filter. We have black granite on our counters and stoves and since I came across this combination, dust and dust gone Such great performance with low running costs, now it's a bargain. Update April 2017: See additional photos below after using a 4 inch filter in combination with a washable filter for 18 months. eventually showed a limitation of about 0.5 inches of water versus about 0.2 inches of water when brand new. For comparison, on my system, a high MERV filter starts out with about 0.3 inches of water, but in less than a month it will be over 2.5 inches of water. I've posted some additional photos and although the filter element is now solid gray I can still see light through it. It is also evident that the filter only catches small particles and most of the dust goes down the drain when cleaning washable items.
NANPU DFR-02 1/4" NPT Air Drying System - Double Air Filters, Air Pressure Regulator Combo - Semi-Auto Drain, Poly Bowl
20 Review
NANPU 1 FRL Air Filter Regulator Lubricator Combo With 0-150 Psi Gauge, 5 Micron Brass Element, Poly Bowl & Semi-Auto Drain - Metal Bracket Included
20 Review
NANPU Air Drying System With Double Filters And Pressure Regulator Combo For Clean And Controlled Air Supply
18 Review
NANPU Compressed Air Filter Regulator Combo: Brass Element, Semi-Auto Drain, 0-150 Psi Gauge, And More
21 Review