How Do I Measure My Air Filter, Or Furnace Air Filter ?
Most
air filters have their dimensions stated in their nominal state which
simply means the actual dimensions of the filter are rounded up or down.
Below is an example of the nominal dimensions, and the actual size of
the air filter compared to each other. Why air filter manufacturers
began this practice is beyond me. What I do know is that this practice
has made buying an air filter very confusing for some folks.
Take
the popular 16x25x5. Without even thinking about it I can come up with
three 16x25x5 filters that are all different in their actual sizes
depending on the brand of the air filter. As a matter of fact, as I write this, a good customer that has been ordering from us for several years just emailed us that this time he ordered the wrong size filter. Below is his situation:
Always ordered:........Honeywell.... 16X25X5 Real Size 15 7/8 x 24 3/4 x 4 3/8
This Time Ordered:....BDP Brand:... 16X25X5 Real Size 15 3/8 x 25 1/2 x 5 1/4
No way the filter he ordered this time will fit his Honeywell filter housing.
The
take-away of this story is that you should be very careful when
ordering an air filter because the dimensions you see on the filter
frame or filter housing are almost never the true dimensions of the
filter. These items are very expensive to ship back and forth, not to
mention the inconvenience to you. So, double check, double check.
Don't assume that if you see a 16x25 by whatever on our site, that this
is the filter to order. You need the model number, or the "ACTUAL"
dimensions.
I refer to the 16x25x5 air filter in this article, but these discrepancies in sizes apply to any filter, including 20x20 - 20x25, etc. The table below shows two
16x25x1 that have different actual dimensions. There are more.
See below for more ideas.
| |
Filter A |
Filter B |
|---|
| Nominal Dimensions |
16 x 25 x 1" |
16 x 25 x 1" |
| Actual Dimensions |
15½ x 24½ x ¾" |
15¾ x 24¾ x 7/8" |
HOW TO DETERMINE THE SIZE AIR FILTER TO ORDER:
Method 1: If you are currently using
a throw-away fiberglass air filter, take the
size written on your existing air filter and deduct 1/4 inch from both sides.
For
example, if your throw away filter is: 20 X 20, then you would order
19 3/4 X 19 3/4 actual dimension.
______
Method 2: Actually measure your existing
air filter, but be sure that your existing
filter fits well.
______
Method 3: Measure the opening provided
for the air filter in your furnace, ceiling
filter grill, or wall filter grill and deduct 1/4 inch from both sides.
For example, if
the opening provided for the filter in your furnace measures 18 X 20, then
you
would order 17 3/4 X 19 3/4
______
Method 4: Look up the model number of the filter housing, or the part number of
the existing filter
______
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