Furnace humidifier questions:

[Kep]

Well, I had some furnace excitement yesterday late afternoon.  I suddenly notice it's getting cold in the house.  I've had the fan on constant for days, but I'm not getting heat.  I crank up the thermostat, run to the basement, and the burner's not coming on.  I'm wondering if leaving the fan on constant is a problem and knock it to auto, and now the furnace is quiet.  It's going to be single digits tonight and I go in panic mode.

I run over to my furnace installer neighbor's house and bang on the door (I never do this, but), and his wife answers and says he's very sick, but lets me in to talk to him.  I beg forgiveness and apologize (several times), tell him the problem, and he says to cycle the power cutoff to reset the system, but he can't come down, and to call his co for service if I need a guy.

I run back home and cycle the furnace and the burner comes on.... but only 7 minutes and cuts off again, twice in succession.  I call the co and get a guy on the phone and he says it's $200 to show up, and I tell him fine, I'll pay cash and a nice tip too.  I tell him the symptoms, and he asks if my filter is dirty.  I tell him I've looked at the filter several times in just the last few days and it shows a little crud but doesn't look bad at all.  But with him on the phone, I open a new one and drop it in, cycle the furnace, and the burner comes on..... and doesn't cut off in 7 minutes again.  

He's patient with me and explains my brand new furnace is much more sensitive to airflow than older units.  I thank him profusely and say I guess I don't need a service call, but if he wants to swing by I'll give him a hundred cash tip for staying on the phone and walking through my problem, and solving it.  He says thanks, that doesn't happen much, but he's running around town putting out fires and not necessary.

I AM SUCH A BIG FAT DUMMY!!  I have a stack of brand new filters sitting right there on the cold air return to the furnace, but want to get my money's worth from the one in it, and caused my own problem.  It doesn't look bad at all, but I guess looks are deceiving.  This time I dated the the new filter and it won't happen again.  It's 9 degrees outside now and it's nice to have a working furnace.  

I nailed the "looks OK to me" filter to an open stud in my utility room to remind me of my ignorance.  
  

Another bit of advide from a 40 year HVAC'er....if you are using 1" pleated air filters , throw them away. Use only fiberglass single layer filters.High efficiency furnaces have 2 heat exchangers , the Primary is stamped steel or tubing and the Secondary is like a radiator in a car...this , coupled with an A/C evaporater coil creates a significant restriction in air flow and will cause the high temperature limit switch to trip in the furnace. 4" pleated air filters are generally OK , 2" pleated , borderline. So called "High Efficiency" air filters are not that , they are so coarse (as to remove more dust/dirt particles from the air) that they choke the air flow through the unit and make it burn more fuel , plus sometimes they will get a light layer of dust or film that is not very noticeable and you won't know by looking at them that they have failed you.Wally world sell a 4-pack of the green fibergalss filters for around $7...those are the only ones I use.

[carolinarider09]

Another bit of advide from a 40 year HVAC'er....if you are using 1" pleated air filters , throw them away. Use only fiberglass single layer filters.High efficiency furnaces have 2 heat exchangers , the Primary is stamped steel or tubing and the Secondary is like a radiator in a car...this , coupled with an A/C evaporater coil creates a significant restriction in air flow and will cause the high temperature limit switch to trip in the furnace. 4" pleated air filters are generally OK , 2" pleated , borderline. So called "High Efficiency" air filters are not that , they are so coarse (as to remove more dust/dirt particles from the air) that they choke the air flow through the unit and make it burn more fuel , plus sometimes they will get a light layer of dust or film that is not very noticeable and you won't know by looking at them that they have failed you.Wally world sell a 4-pack of the green fibergalss filters for around $7...those are the only ones I use.

Thanks.  I will look to see what I have been using. 

 

[Jess from VA]

if you are using 1" pleated air filters , throw them away.

Thanks (very much) again Kep.

Those one-inch pleated are exactly what I've been using.  The filter slot is for one-inch filters.  But over the years with my older furnace, I did use the green fiberglass ones off and on.  I seem to recall reading the fiberglass didn't catch as much crud.   I really don't get much visible dirt, crud, fiber, hair. 

The pleated one I just changed just went from white to a light cream color.  But a few minutes ago, I held the cream colored one up and shined a flashlight through it, and then a new white one, and the cream one absolutely blocked a good deal of light shining through.  It had only been in there a couple months, but I have no idea exactly (I will always mark each filter with date showing from now on).

I will absolutely follow your advice and use the the green fiberglass filters.   

The internet tells me 1-3 months is the 'general' change interval, of course subject to 'factors.'  But since there is so little to actually see when puling them out, what interval would you recommend?  I want to mark my calendar (or something) to make me start changing them out periodically, and on the safe side.  Looking at them obviously does me little to no good at all. 

The internet also talks about separate AC filters, but I don't think I have one.  My previous furnace didn't.  I can't remember my installers telling me about an AC filter.   Again, I got a new middle of the road Carrier/Bryant that was supposed to be just under the super high efficiency model I didn't want.  2-ton, just like the one replaced for my 1100 sq ft.

I have no allergies (except chocolate will make me sneeze my ass off once in a while).  And I need no special filtration beyond ordinary. 

Thanks for any advice, I do greatly appreciate it.   

 

[HayHauler]

So, now you have me thinking about how I can modify my filter housing to take a 4" filter.....  I guess they make a 20" X 25" X 4" housing?

Hay 
Jimmyt

[t-man403]

Now that’s funny  !

Trying to get your monies worth will cost money even without a service call expense.
Internal temp goes up along with the flu gas due to lack of air flow. The heat that would have been put into your home now goes outside and the furnace says “I need some love” and shuts down.
Remember … filters will become 100% eff. when left long enough  .
Everything wears out in time but running the blower is the best thing you can do for that motor! Just like a lightbulb, they burn out when turned on, and will run for many years while they’re running. As well, your probably under warranty so keep it running.  A more balanced temperature from floor to floor, fresh air being drawn in through the system for you to breathe, humidifier powered while the blower is running whether calling for heat or not is just hassle free comfort.
It’s -7°C/9°F here today and my home is at 42% humidity. If you’re home can handle between 35 and 40% at those temperatures that is wonderful.
Also, I have to disagree that your contractor left your old thermostat on your new system. Digital, is way more accurate than an old mechanical or mercury thermostat. You will be much better off with a cheap digital thermostat like a Honeywell T1 or a TH 1000. Temperature up, temperature down, that is it.
Now, go to HD and get one. 

[Jess from VA]

T-man, I believe I've solved my filter fiasco.  I'm going to go with free flow fiberglass (and sh!tcan restrictive pleated), and change them every 30 days. 

I'm running two humidifiers off and on daily, and they are bringing the house up to acceptable.  I can get mid 30%, but not 40%.

I had the fan run constant for 3 days (of ice cold), and it made no noticeable apparent difference anywhere in my house at all.  This 3-level split is a bitch to equalize heat and humidity.  I will likely still do this in extremes of cold and heat.

As soon as the outside temps get to mid 30s and up (like right now, finally), everything works perfectly.

I didn't say my contractor left my old thermostat in place, he offered to put in a new one and I said no thanks. 

I thank you for your advice and wisdom, and appreciate it.   

[Jess from VA]

Wally world sells a 4-pack of the green fiberglass filters for around $7...those are the only ones I use.

My Walmart has none, and will not order them for me. 

So I ordered a pack of 24 from Amazon that will arrive soon.

The internet tells me they are to be changed every month, so that's what I'll do.

Thanks again. 

[carolinarider09]

Wally world sells a 4-pack of the green fiberglass filters for around $7...those are the only ones I use.

My Walmart has none, and will not order them for me. 

So I ordered a pack of 24 from Amazon that will arrive soon.

The internet tells me they are to be changed every month, so that's what I'll do.

Thanks again. 

 

I am considering doing the same. 

[Jess from VA]

I'm going to have to put up a sign or something to remind me for monthly changes.

Maybe a red flag.  

Jim, they are called AAF Flanders Nested Glass MERV 1 Air filters (at least on Amazon)
  
And you'll obviously have to get your correct size.

Notice they say 30 day right on them.

[carolinarider09]

I'm going to have to put up a sign or something to remind me for monthly changes.

Maybe a red flag.  

Jim, they are called AAF Flanders Nested Glass MERV 1 Air filters (at least on Amazon)
  
And you'll obviously have to get your correct size.

Notice they say 30 day right on them.

Thanks.  I just add a "appointment" to my iPhone calendar.   It will alert me.  Hard to forget.

[Jess from VA]

What's an I-Phone?   

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I use the same method I used as a industrial maintenance manager, I put a monthly reminder in my E mail calendar (outlook) on my PC.

When I open my PC and check my E mail, I get a reminder if it's time.

I'm going to have to put up a sign or something to remind me for monthly changes.

Maybe a red flag.  

Jim, they are called AAF Flanders Nested Glass MERV 1 Air filters (at least on Amazon)
  
And you'll obviously have to get your correct size.

Notice they say 30 day right on them.

[HayHauler]

What's an I-Phone?   

LOL   

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Kep]

I'm going to have to put up a sign or something to remind me for monthly changes.

Maybe a red flag.  

Jim, they are called AAF Flanders Nested Glass MERV 1 Air filters (at least on Amazon)
  
And you'll obviously have to get your correct size.

Notice they say 30 day right on them.

I'm not very disciplined about putting reminders on my phone , still write things down in my "little black book" notepad, haha... I simply just change my air filter the 1st day of the month and it's become a pretty much an unbreakable habit..If anyone ever has an HVAC problem that may need a little walking thru before you call a service company out , message me with your phone number and I'd be glad to help out ...and save you  some $$$$

[Jess from VA]

Kep, that's a nice offer of help to everyone.  You helped me and I thank you.

I don't have a black book, but I use pads of those sticky notes and make lists for myself.

I had just about decided to try and change the filter out the 1st of every month myself.

My Amazon order of green glass filters should arrive any day to start that off.  

[Jess from VA]

Well my free flow 30-day green glass filters arrived from Amazon yesterday.

24 of them fit in a box only 10 1/2 inches wide (man are they skinny).

I've put up a bold sign on the furnace I (hopefully) can't miss to put one in the 1st of every month. 

I'll be interested to see what they look like after 30 days.