Can't Find My Air Filter Size in the Store

 You are in a hardware store with an air conditioning filter in your hand and a perplexed look on your face. There are rows and rows of filters, but none seem to be the right size. After spending half an hour looking at every filter in the store, you realize that they do not have what you are looking for. You go to a clerk and find that they can order a 16x25x1 air filter for you, but it will take a week to come in.  The next best thing, however, is to contact your local hvac repair.

 

As you drive home, you think of all the time you have wasted going to the store, looking for the product, and driving back. You realize that you will have to spend even more time driving there and back when your filter arrives. You wonder if there is an easier way.

 

Fortunately, you can buy almost any filter you need online and have it delivered to you. All you need to know is the size of your filter and the type of HVAC system you have. Once you have that, you need to figure out on what website you should get your filters.

 

How do I know what size filter to look for?

The filter size will normally be printed on the side of the filter frame. If you cannot find it there, you can always measure the filter. You will want to measure the length, width, and depth with a tape measure. Most filters in the United States will be written in inches.

 

When you go online to look for filters, some of them will be listed as “nominal size.” Many filters are not cut to an exact size. Instead, they will be cut to be slightly smaller than average. This is done so the filter will work in systems that are very close in size.

 

If you are not much with a tape measure, you can check your HVAC systems owner's manual. It should list the size of filter that you need.

 

Where to Buy Your Filter

Back in the early days of the internet, one would have to go on a classified advertising website and hunt around for a filter that would fit their AC. This took hours, and the person looking for the filter would often come up empty-handed. If they did find a filter, they would have to go to the seller's home to buy what might be a used product.

 

Nowadays, there are companies online that are devoted to selling filters, and there are hundreds of different kinds of filters available on these sites. As with anything else you buy online, you want to buy your filter on a website that is easy to use and offers a good price for a high-quality product.

 

The site you select should give you a variety of ways to search for your filter. You should be able to search for it by size, brand, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value rating. The MERV rating measures a filter's ability to capture particles in the air. The higher the MERV rating, the more particles it can capture.

 

A worthwhile filter company will offer filters in bulk, so you do not have to keep ordering filters. They should offer you a coupon the first time you buy a filter, should give you a coupon for your first order, and offer occasional coupons for customer loyalty.

 

Payments and Shipping

Any company that sells products online should offer you a few different ways to pay for their products. You should be able to buy your filter with a credit card or a payment processing service such as Paypal or Amazon Pay.

 

They should also offer different shipping options. If you can wait a week for your new filter, you should not have to pay as much as you would for overnight delivery.

 

Customer Service

The filter company you buy from should offer a customer service number to call. You should be able to get in touch with someone from the company if your filters do not arrive on time or if they are damaged.

 

Having a working HVAC system is important to keep your home a safe and comfortable place. Your HVAC system will never work correctly without a proper filter. If you shop online, you will always be able to find the right sized filter and get that important component when you need it.