Cheap Cabin Air Filter?

[Tubaryan12]

I've seen several members mention that they were going to the local hardware store and buy a furnace air filter, cut it down, and use it for their cabin air filter. Ok, guys (and gals), fess up. Has anyone actually done this? If so, how well did it work? What type of filter did you use and do you have pics?***note*** I am cheap enough to do it, I just want to know if anyone else has.

[joatmon]

Looks like a couple of people have. Try the search for furnace filters, and select Post Bodies to search, should turn up a few threads. I didn't see any pictures of the homemade ones though.

[BlueCrush]

I wonder if the best 3M Filtrete filters would do better than the oem filters. Do any of them eliminate exterior smells that enter the cars HVAC system? When ever I am on the road and I smell some antifreeze or oil from another car, I always think it is coming from mine. I hate that!

[Tubaryan12]

Well, I cut up a Lysol branded filter 16x20x1 (from the Home Despot) that said it eleminates odors as well. I went cheap (less than $8) for the filter because it was a 1st attempt. The filter will yeild 2 usable filters for the car. I will try other sizes to get a better yeild and to perfect the technique if the initial test are promising. It was done with a table saw to help keep the edges as straight as possible (please, if you use a table saw, make sure you have plenty of ventilation, the propper safety guards, safety glasses and a dust mask). I used a box cutter to cut the leftover seal away from the waste parts in order to complete the edging of the filter. It is installed in the car now but it has not been glued together I'll remove it and try to get to that today. I will inspect the car for dust on the clean side of the filter, and then inspect again after about a month to see if anything significant is getting by the home made filter.

[ToolGuy]

You want cheap but the type that is supposed to be installed into the car, go here... I have bought four from this place and others I have recommended have too.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=11745

[Tubaryan12]

That will be my fallback route if this doesn't work to my liking . I don't know what the filtering rating is for the o.e.m. filter, but the one I cut up was a Merv 12.

[bagwell]

MERV12 = equals better airflow than a MERV9?

[mspalmer]

Quote, originally posted by MiVibe-ToolGuy »You want cheap but the type that is supposed to be installed into the car, go here... I have bought four from this place and others I have recommended have too.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=11745based upon this prior post I ordered 2 filters from this site, they just arrived the other day so I have yet to install them, but I can't argue with the price compared to what the dealership wants.Mike

[Tubaryan12]

Quote, originally posted by bagwell »MERV12 = equals better airflow than a MERV9?No, it just means better filtration.

[NewNeptune]

Quote, originally posted by Tubaryan12 »No, it just means better filtration.Which may also mean less flow. Our home A/C people told us that the higher the MERV, the better the filtration and lower the air flow. Since our system was designed for high flow, it would keep it from draining properly and it would get musty. Sure enough, it did.

[acleek]

Autozone carries the replacement filter I needed for 40$. So tonight I'll pull mine out, take some pictures, and run to Home Depot and do a quick write up on how to replace with a home AC Filter.

[zionzr2]

Quote, originally posted by acleek »Autozone carries the replacement filter I needed for 40$. So tonight I'll pull mine out, take some pictures, and run to Home Depot and do a quick write up on how to replace with a home AC Filter. there is already a write up here: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=25114