A Small Semi-Rant...

[682bear]

Last year, I had to replace our HVAC system... the old one died on us after 24-ish years. The new system was installed with the air return filters installed at the air handler unit instead of at the registers like the old system.

This morning, the HVAC technician came out for a scheduled 6 month service visit. He discovered that he only had one filter on the truck (the system requires two), so he asked if I wanted him to go pick up another or if I just wanted to source a replacement. I said I would... I can buy them cheaper anyway...

So... after he left, I went on Amazon and ran a search for "20x25x4 air filter"... and discovered that some of the "4 inch" filters are listed as being 3¾", 3⅞", 4", 4¼", 4⅜", or 4½" thick... WTH? Are they not standardized? Also, a "5 inch" will get anywhere from 4⅜" to 5½"...

I need a 4⅜" size... so I picked one listing for a Filtrete brand... but between the listing header, the description, and the specifications, it says two times that it includes a single filter and three times it says that it's a pair or '2.0 count'... if the listing writers can't even definitively say how many filters are in the package, what is the chances they've listed the size correctly?

So... I gave up on Amazon and went to homedepot.com and searched for "20x25x4 air filter"... the first result was for a 20x25x1... the second was for a 20x25x1... the third was for a 16x25x4... I had to go halfway down the page... maybe listing 10 or 12... before I found a 20x25x4...

At this point, I just closed out the internet browser, picked up my old-fashioned tape measure, and drove down to Home Depot and found what I needed...

...just like I would have done all those years before I had access to all this wonderful technology...

-Bear

 

[GrifterGuru]

No replacement for the mk1 eyeball and mk1 brain in such situations.

Technology may make certain things "convenient" (not my general experience, though there are certain well made cases for its use) but it can never truly replace the human element where such matters as being "on the ground, part in hand to check" is concerned.

 

[mmcmdl]

Try maintaining an entire plant with 1000s of different size filters . It was always a pleasure when the inside filters dropped because the air units on the roof needed changing . Middle of the night job by myself ............................retirement is good .

 

[Winegrower]

Our local ACE hardware has a huge section of filters. Like beetles, they are all identical and all different, simultaneously. Why is that, you HVAC designers?

 

[C-Bag]

I agree with having to go old school manual most of the time.

And no matter what I have the oddball that doesn’t exist anymore.

 

[tjb]

Let us know how it goes if the same tech shows up for the next '6 month service visit' with only one filter. (I've met you, Bear. I wouldn't want to be that tech.)

 

[682bear]

Let us know how it goes if the same tech shows up for the next '6 month service visit' with only one filter. (I've met you, Bear. I wouldn't want to be that tech.)

I bought 3 filters at Home Depot... one to use now along with the one that he had... and two to install at the next service.

-Bear

 

[sycle1]

I feel your pain, you should feel it from this side, the land Down Under.
Its even more ridiculous and frustrating and costs a lot more too.

 

[Markbinwi]

My original filter was 20-25-4 air bear brand. I ordered 3packs from Amazon and they always fit.

 

[extropic]

I think your complaint is completely appropriate.

It seems ubiquitous that search engines return incredibly off-topic results for very specific searches.