Smoke Air Filtering Using Air Con & Furnace Filter

wfdTamar on 10/12/2019 - 17:09
Last edited 10/12/2019 - 18:53

For all those suffering the bushfire smoke. Here's a cheap way to filter out smoke using your home air conditioner. I've been doing this for a few years since I had a neighbour with bad wood heater habits and also for bushfire smoke. It's very cheap and works fast and well. I think as good as, perhaps better, than any portable expensive air filter you can buy.

If you buy what Americans call 'odor furnace filters', cut them to size and place them on the inlet of your air con (on top), they will filter out room smoke quite fast.

For smoke you want the odour ones that have carbon in them, so search for 'filtrete furnace odor filter' on Amazon, tick Prime International shipping on the left. Sort by price low to high. You'll see 2 packs and 6 packs in various sizes. The inlet for the AC is on top, so get up and measure that. Mine are about 30x6 inches. The furnace filters are bigger, so you need to cut them to size. They won't look pretty, but up there you don't even notice them. I can get three from each furnace filter and got a 6 pack. They last ages (well, I haven't needed to replace them), so even for a try the 2 pack would do you. You could also do a couple of layers, maybe even 3 which would save having to cut the filter and do a better job.

After you've cut or folded it to size, just sit it on top of the indoor AC unit. You might be able to tuck in the edges a bit. That's it! Just run the AC on fan only and it really works. Far better than those expensive room air filters and cheap. It's just a bit messy looking but only if you look at it. I just leave mine there all the time. Another benefit is it keeps dust out of the AC.

Problem is its showing delivery time is Dec 19th for me (I'm in Tas. You might get it a day or to before that in Sydney), but only if you pay extra for priority delivery - only $5.49 (boy that is cheap). Seems any of them are the same. The smoke may have cleared before that.

I had a look on ebay and the only ones sold within Australia are general purpose filters, not smoke ones.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • crentist on 10/12/2019 - 19:26

    Very clever, DIY air purifier. I had tried to suggest my mum runs her aircon to bring in more filtered air from outside, before remembering that her AC is obviously not ducted that way.
    Completely overlooked the idea of filtering the air that's already inside.

    Another way if AC won't work for you: stick the filter on a box fan

  • rake on 10/12/2019 - 19:36
    +1

    Thanks mate, much appreciated! Sydney suddenly has low/no stock of respectable purifiers. This is definitely worth the try!

  • wfdTamar on 10/12/2019 - 19:43

    Problem is delivery time from Amazon is 19th at the earliest, but if you could find something locally report back here.

  • Stone Monkey on 10/12/2019 - 19:46

    Interesting solution. Might give it go.

  • wfdTamar on 10/12/2019 - 19:48

    In Rowville. Also look on ebay for 'air conditioner filter'.

    https://www.airconfilters.com.au/products/split-air-conditio…

    • yk300 on 10/12/2019 - 21:05

      is changing the filter part of the ongoing maintenance of the air con? So far, I've only cleaned and vacuumed the filter.

      • wfdTamar on 10/12/2019 - 21:23

        Nah. I do the same as you. You’d only change it if it broke. The standard ones are just a simple mesh, dust trap anyway. Although some fancier models have more serious replaceable filters.

  • yk300 on 10/12/2019 - 21:06

    Thanks for the lifehack OP. Does running the air con in this smokey condition damage it?

    • wfdTamar on 10/12/2019 - 21:27

      I really doubt it. It’s only dealing with the air in the house (with a split system anyway). Putting these filters on top of the inlet would only help keep the insides clean. They don’t block the airflow - well maybe if you left it there for years without cleaning the dust off it.

      • wfdTamar on 11/12/2019 - 11:55
        +1

        There you go! The ones in the picture on that site are similar to what I got and would be used in a ducted air con installation possibly on the return air vent (there's usually one big one placed centrally in the house).

        I think simpler single room split system air con's are more common and that's what I have. It would work with either. Probably even the old style 'in window' type if you stopped it sucking in air from outside and just recirculated the air in the room - and placed the filter over the inlet (on the room side, not outside).

        I use the carbon laden filters, usually labelled odour (odor if you're buying from the USA) which filter up to medium particle size, but particularly the smell. You can get even finer filters labelled HEPA or allergy. You could even use a layer of each.

  • H E B on 11/12/2019 - 11:40

    Ummm is MS Paint required here?

  • tlai on 24/12/2019 - 16:10

    Do you have a link to the filters?

      • tlai on 24/12/2019 - 18:42

        Have you had any issues with carbon being loose on the filter? Any photos of your setup?

        • wfdTamar on 24/12/2019 - 18:58

          They were shipped from the US so any loose carbon would probably have fallen to the bottom of the box. I haven’t looked in it to see. I didn’t notice any when I cut it to size. You just cut it to the size of the vent on top of the AC and sit it there. If ever you do look up all you see is a 2cm high edge of it. Not worth a photo.

          • dan76n on 06/01/2020 - 19:47

            @wfdTamar: Hi opp, so did you get the 6 pack that is $218?
            Has there been a price increase on these? I could of sworn the 30x20 2pk was $39 before Xmas.

            • wfdTamar on 06/01/2020 - 20:26

              @dan76n: I got a pack of 6 years ago. Still using that. There’s loads on Amazon. Just search for Odor filtrete furnace filters, but also check other brands which will show up further down the page.

  • wfdTamar on 07/01/2020 - 06:47

    I see what you mean about the prices. I wonder if they have twigged that’s what orders from Australia are for and have raised the prices. I’m sure they weren’t that expensive when I looked a week or two ago.

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