Question: Have you had any feedback on the Trane CleanEffects Electronic Air Filter? We need a whole new AC system and they are really pushing this filter.  At nearly $1000.00 I’m not so sure it’s needed.  Any thoughts or words from others?

What some quick research revealed

I am not familiar with these filters so I did some quick research and found out that there have been some recalls on those units. I didn’t research the details of the recall.

From what I see they look like a combination of media air filter and electronic air cleaner. I have never been a fan of traditional electronic air cleaners because they allow larger dust particles to pass through the filter. I always recommend installing a pleated air filter as a pre-filter or post filter when using them. This may be their attempt to eliminate that flaw in the electronic air filter design.

They claim the filter is 99.98% effective. That’s better than a HEPA filter by .01%. If it is that efficient it may require constant maintenance to prevent it from having a negative impact on air flow. I also predict that the filter material will require replacement more often than a person would expect for a reusable air filter and that will probably not be cheap. I would recommend going with one of the more traditional filters.

Here’s a demo on the Trane site . It seams to load a bit slow but it works.

Question: I have a Trion Air Bear media filter installed close to my furnace in my basement.  I also have two Newfoundland dogs who shed like fiends.

I have found the expensive Trion media filters clog quickly (well before a year, more like a month) with fur. I wonder if it would make sense to install return air grille filters with cheap fibreglass filters as a sort of pre-filter to extend the life of my Trion Air Bear media filters?  It seems like this could help prevent pet fur from building up in my ducts. Do you see any problems with this?

Your Trion Air Bear filter probably has a MERV 11 rating. Furnace filters and air conditioner filters with high MERV ratings already restrict air flow so adding another filter has an even greater impact.

I typically don’t recommend using fibreglass filters because they do such a poor job and I am always cautious about using two media air filters together.

However, every filter has its use and fibreglass panel filters are great for your problem. Be very careful not to let them get too dirty because having two filters in a system can cause a number of problems. I would recommend changing them monthly at least and maybe more.

I would also recommend that you check the MERV rating of your Trion Air Bear filter. The rating should be marked on it. If the MERV rating is higher than 8 I would recommend changing it to a filter with a MERV 8 rating. These have less impact on air flow than the higher MERV filters and will still do an adequate job.

Read the articles below for more information about some of the potential problems that can be created when restriction air flow.

When to change your air conditioner filter
How often do you need to change your air conditioner filter?

Question: I have a whole house electric AC with gas heat in my home, which is approximately 1800 sq ft.  There are 2 return air grills with filter in the house and a filter tray at the bottom of my furnace in the return air system.
The sizes are as follows:

Grill #1 is 20×20x1
Grill #2 is 20×24x1

The under furnace tray is 24×24x1

What filter combination should I run?  Filter in all 3? And what type.  I’m looking for the best airflow (low pressure drop) with the most filtration.

If you are looking for the best combination of air flow and filtration I would recommend a pleated filter with a relatively high MERV rating 10 - 12 and change it monthly.  Although filters with higher MERV ratings have more pressure drop than air filters with lower MERV ratings, they will provide the best filtration.  Change the filter monthly to prevent the air flow from being effected greatly.

Stacking filters is not a good idea because combined they may cause excessive pressure drop and can be far worse than having one pleated air filter with a high MERV rating.  I would remove the filters from the return air grills.

If you are interested in upgrading your system, you can install an electronic air cleaner and install a pleated air filter as a pre-filter.  Electronic air cleaners have almost no effect on air flow.  Remove the foam pre-filter that comes with the electronic air cleaner and use a pleated filter instead.  This combination will provide the best filtration and the least pressure drop.