I finally stopped buying cheap air filters every month

I used to grab the $5 fiberglass filters at the hardware store near my place in Austin because everyone says just change them often. But after 3 months my AC unit started freezing up on hot afternoons and a repair guy told me those cheap ones let dust pile up inside the coils. I switched to a mid-range pleated filter for $12 that lasts 2 months and the system runs way better. Has anyone else had their AC unit act up from using the cheapest filters?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy39124d ago

That $800 story makes me cringe. I had a similar wakeup call when my electric bill jumped $40 in one month while using those cheap fiberglass things. My local HVAC guy in Denver actually showed me the dust caked on my blower wheel, and that visual was enough to switch me to a MERV 8 pleated filter that I change every 3 months now. The payoff is way better than I expected, the airflow is consistent and I haven't had a single freeze-up since.

alice8924d ago

Honestly, this is just like the whole thing with buying cheap trash bags or cheap tires. You think you're saving money upfront but then you end up paying more in the long run when something breaks or doesn't work right. It's that whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing people never really think through until they're stuck with a frozen AC on a 100 degree day.

davis.adam24d ago

Wait, a frozen AC on a 100 degree day? That is my actual nightmare. I have a buddy from work named Dave who went through that exact thing last summer in Phoenix, and he said the repair guy charged him like $800 just to come out and tell him the unit was shot because he bought the cheapest one from a going-out-of-business sale. @alice89 you are spot on, that whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing is no joke. It is always the worst possible timing too, right when you need it the most.