Furnace filter subscription trap took me 8 months to spot

Signed up for a $19 monthly air filter delivery because it seemed cheaper than the store, but the filters were the cheap 1-inch kind that my HVAC guy hates. After 8 months of changing them every 30 days like the label said, my energy bill jumped $45 and a tech found the blower coated in dust. Anyone else get locked into a subscription that ended up costing more than just buying the right filter at a local hardware store?

2 comments

2 Comments

terryk2822d ago

Yeah I got burned the same way. Those cheap 1 inch filters are basically just cardboard with a fart of fiberglass on them. You NEED the 4 inch pleated ones if your system can take them, they last 3 months easy and catch way more. I check the MERV rating now before I buy anything, you want like MERV 8 minimum but not the super high ones that choke the airflow. Also ditch the subscription thing, just set a calendar reminder on your phone and buy the good filter in a 2 pack from Lowe's. That blower dust is no joke, that stuff cakes up and kills your AC compressor long term.

sam_thomas21d ago

Man, tell me about it @terryk28. I did the exact same thing with those skinny filters last summer and my electric bill went up like 40 bucks before I figured it out. Switched to a 4 inch MERV 11 and holy crap, the difference was night and day. I actually cut a piece of cardboard to check the old one and it was basically see-through after 2 weeks, the pleated one still looks clean after 2 months. The trick for me was buying the 2 pack and writing the date on the filter with a sharpie, so I know exactly when to swap it. And yeah, forget those subscription boxes, they send you the cheapest junk anyway and charge you double for the hassle.