It's a good idea to choose a filter size that is at least several more times
larger than the original intake opening.
A frame that allows easy changing of the filter works out best, so it's not
too much trouble to swap in a clean filter, that way changing them before
the internal parts get clogged instead of procrastinating too long.

I'm certain that material like bedsheet would be too restrictive and greatly
reduce the A/C unit's performance. Less airflow, no worky.

I use the double or triple layer cut-to-size (furnace filter) material for
air cleaners, and cover the edges with wide masking tape (~1.5"). The edges
will leak a lot of dirt if they're uneven and not taped.

Over the outside, I unfold dust-grabbing painting/refinishing tack-rag
(rosin treated cheesecloth, I think), and instead of just laying it over a
louvered panel/grille for example, I use dowel rods or other features to
hold the tack-rag away from the front panel (utilizing more surface area of
the tack-rag).

With the edges of the trimmed tack-rag held in place with wide masking tape,
it's fairly easy to just peel the dirty one off, and replace it with a clean
tack-rag.

I wouldn't use a tack-rag in a furnace because I don't want to introduce
potentially flammable material inside (I assume they're not fire-resistant),
but for room air cleaners, window A/C units, room dehumidifiers, they work
great.

The important feature is to have (at least) several times more area for the
filtered opening.. that way, the filter can become partially restricted with
dirt before significantly reducing air flow and diminishing performance.

A box about 22" square, with a decent axial fan fitted so it's blowing out,
and a cheap 20x20" furnace filter covered with a tack-rag fitted to the
intake side, will catch a hellofalotta airborne dust in a workshop.
The little breeze can be comfortable in the summer up here in the northeast.

I made one with a squirrelcage blower in it (wheel size ~7" dia x 3" wide),
and the output feels similar to A/C when the temps get hot. I had it on a
stand about 4 feet height so it was easy to move around.

--
WB
..........


"Existential Angst" wrote in message
news:4c394b82

It actually won't be that hard to do. I will scavenge the innards of a
typical frame filter, and just duct-tape it around that big unfiltered
opening. Won't be pretty, but it will work.
Even an old bed sheet would proly work!
--
EA

~~ Evan

"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
It's a good idea to choose a filter size that is at least several more
times larger than the original intake opening.
A frame that allows easy changing of the filter works out best, so it's
not too much trouble to swap in a clean filter, that way changing them
before the internal parts get clogged instead of procrastinating too long.

I'm certain that material like bedsheet would be too restrictive and
greatly reduce the A/C unit's performance. Less airflow, no worky.

I use the double or triple layer cut-to-size (furnace filter) material for
air cleaners, and cover the edges with wide masking tape (~1.5"). The
edges will leak a lot of dirt if they're uneven and not taped.

Over the outside, I unfold dust-grabbing painting/refinishing tack-rag
(rosin treated cheesecloth, I think), and instead of just laying it over a
louvered panel/grille for example, I use dowel rods or other features to
hold the tack-rag away from the front panel (utilizing more surface area
of the tack-rag).

With the edges of the trimmed tack-rag held in place with wide masking
tape, it's fairly easy to just peel the dirty one off, and replace it with
a clean tack-rag.

I'm not clear on which you actually use: furnace filters, or the tack-rag
stuff.
Or are these just two alternatives?

Are these things that HD carries? Under what name?

Good ideas, tho, overall.
The bottom opening to the Amana is quite curvey, so indeed there will be a
lot of cutting/duct -taping.

That box filter idea is excellent, altho probably more for a wood shop than
metal.
Altho, proly *required* for a metal shop in which occasional woodcutting
occurs, like mine.
But, ahm walkin sideways in my shop as it is....
--
EA



I wouldn't use a tack-rag in a furnace because I don't want to introduce
potentially flammable material inside (I assume they're not
fire-resistant), but for room air cleaners, window A/C units, room
dehumidifiers, they work great.

The important feature is to have (at least) several times more area for
the filtered opening.. that way, the filter can become partially
restricted with dirt before significantly reducing air flow and
diminishing performance.

A box about 22" square, with a decent axial fan fitted so it's blowing
out, and a cheap 20x20" furnace filter covered with a tack-rag fitted to
the intake side, will catch a hellofalotta airborne dust in a workshop.
The little breeze can be comfortable in the summer up here in the
northeast.

I made one with a squirrelcage blower in it (wheel size ~7" dia x 3"
wide), and the output feels similar to A/C when the temps get hot. I had
it on a stand about 4 feet height so it was easy to move around.

--
WB
.........


"Existential Angst" wrote in message
news:4c394b82

It actually won't be that hard to do. I will scavenge the innards of a
typical frame filter, and just duct-tape it around that big unfiltered
opening. Won't be pretty, but it will work.
Even an old bed sheet would proly work!
--
EA

~~ Evan

The stuff I use for room air cleaners is WEB Odor Control Filter. These
consist of 2 separate materials, a spun poly layer and a foam charcoal
layer. The package includes a rigid plastic support grille/backup grid
(since the filter materials have no structural strength).
These 2 materials are highly effective for room air cleaners. Maybe not so
much for shop dirt near the floor, but they will effectively stop/capture
most dust particles.

The cut-to-size WEB materials fit inside the room air cleaners I have, as a
replacement for the pleated, hack/spit HEPA filters that are made to fit the
unit (about $30 each).
The plastic grid supports the filter media. But I place the tack-rag
material on the outside of the air cleaner's intake grille, as a pre-filter,
to catch most of the dust that would load up the filter media.
It's much easier and cheaper to peel off the dust-filled tack-rag and put a
clean one on, instead of cleaning a lot of dirt out of the air cleaner's
grille and interior, in addition to replacing the filter media.

There are spun poly filters (soft fuzzy material) that will catch airborne
dust and dirt. These may be found in the typical cardboard frames for
slide-in furnace replacement filters, or in sheets that can be cut with
scissors.
With an added layer of tack-rag, these would very likely catch most of the
debris you want to keep out of your portable A/C unit.
The charcoal media layer that comes in the WEB package would likely be too
restrictive for the portable A/C unit you have (assuming the air mover is a
small fan, not a squirrelcage-type blower).

The really cheap fibreglas filters (coarse strands) aren't worth the trouble
to cut to size, really. They're useful as a backup/support material (as a
frame/form) to apply the tack-rag material to, though, if the application
can use a standard 16"x ? or 20"x ? size filter.
The cheap fibreglas filters are generally very poor air filters, since if
they are held flat, and sand is sprinkled on them, the sand falls through.
A window screen is probably much better as a filter.

--
WB
..........


"Existential Angst" wrote in message
...
"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...

It's a good idea to choose a filter size that is at least several more
times larger than the original intake opening.
A frame that allows easy changing of the filter works out best, so it's
not too much trouble to swap in a clean filter, that way changing them
before the internal parts get clogged instead of procrastinating too
long.

I'm certain that material like bedsheet would be too restrictive and
greatly reduce the A/C unit's performance. Less airflow, no worky.

I use the double or triple layer cut-to-size (furnace filter) material
for air cleaners, and cover the edges with wide masking tape (~1.5"). The
edges will leak a lot of dirt if they're uneven and not taped.

Over the outside, I unfold dust-grabbing painting/refinishing tack-rag
(rosin treated cheesecloth, I think), and instead of just laying it over
a louvered panel/grille for example, I use dowel rods or other features
to hold the tack-rag away from the front panel (utilizing more surface
area of the tack-rag).

With the edges of the trimmed tack-rag held in place with wide masking
tape, it's fairly easy to just peel the dirty one off, and replace it
with a clean tack-rag.



I'm not clear on which you actually use: furnace filters, or the tack-rag
stuff.
Or are these just two alternatives?

Are these things that HD carries? Under what name?

Good ideas, tho, overall.
The bottom opening to the Amana is quite curvey, so indeed there will be a
lot of cutting/duct -taping.

That box filter idea is excellent, altho probably more for a wood shop
than metal.
Altho, proly *required* for a metal shop in which occasional woodcutting
occurs, like mine.
But, ahm walkin sideways in my shop as it is....
--
EA