Mike wrote:
Hi All,

I posted this inquiry in alt.hvac a while ago but read some additional
unrelated posts from regular old homeowners (to which some hostile
responses were posted) and it appears that non-professionals are not
invited to the party over there.

I installed a new Carrier Weathermaker furnace along with a Carrier
Infinity Central Air conditioner and Venmar heat exchanger in my
Minnesota home a couple years ago. I have two questions:

1) We have a split-level home and the lower level tends to be very
cold, both winter and summer. Any suggestions on how to remedy this
situation? What would the pros/cons be of something like the Aprilaire
Zoned Comfort Control system be? My father suggests an electric
baseboard heater. Not too keen on that, though.

2) When the furnace was installed the installer put a 20x22 1/4 X 1"
opening for the filter. The only kind of filter we can find that
actually fits that are the crummy flat fiberglass filters. I recently
asked the installer where we could get better filters. He said it was
that size to fit the Aprilaire 2400 and that if we wanted better
filters we could just put a bigger one in and let one end stick out.
He could install the 2400 for about $325 but I don't have a clue as to
whether it is worth it other than the installer said it would make our
furnace last longer and run more efficiently. True or not? Can I just
let one end of a pleated filter stick out like he says? Why should I
spent $325 for the 2400??

Thanks much for the professional expertise of the list in advance.

Mike


One additional option is to install a filter bracket in the wall that
makes a 20x25 opening. The addtional area of the filter will allow for
a pleated filter to be used. And the filter media is much cheaper in a
1" pleated filter. $10-$15 each MERV 10

AprilAir 2400 filters are roughly $22-$25 each. They are also Merv 10
filters but are several inches DEEP. They hold LOTS more captured
material, but as they load up, resistance increases. One site says 6
months to two years, but I would change them every 4-6 months anyway.

One option available for 1" filter housing is Honeywell pleated
filters. These are 4 inches deep and have a offset that allows the
filter to fit completely INSIDE the filter bracket


According to several web sites I visited the crappy 1" filter you need
for this 20x22 filter bracket is costing you about $20 anyway.