The air cleaner is typically located at the bottom of a vertical upflow system and at the top of a vertical downflow system. Horizontal HVAC systems, which can be found in attics, garages, or large basements, usually have the air cleaner placed vertically in a slot on the side of the unit. It is often close to the home thermostat or in a return duct. In some systems, filters are located in the return air duct.
This is the one that draws air from your space and returns it to the air conditioner's air handling system. If you have a large system with multiple air handlers and return ducts, finding the filters can be a challenge. Central air conditioning filters (or heating system filters if hot air heat is also used) are sometimes difficult to find. Unlike smaller ducts around your home, the return air duct or blower compartment draws air from your home and sends it to your HVAC unit for heating or cooling.
Follow the air path, find the return air, which will tell us where a filter can be placed; there are more illustrations on the previous page. In some cases, the filter may be in one or more common air returns or in the air handler, or less commonly, in a slot in the return air duct near the air handler. This type of filter is usually found in a grille located in the ceiling, wall or floor and contains slat openings for air to flow. If your system has an accessory mounted above a hot air oven, it may be located there.
When the air conditioning filter becomes clogged, dust and dirt begin to enter the air conditioner itself, causing wear and tear on parts. This also prevents enough air from flowing through the system to keep it working properly. If your building's duct system is so dirty that people are installing these filters, it may be preferable to have the duct system professionally cleaned. For certain models such as Ruud achiever 80-foot super quiet air controller, there is a molded permanent filter that slides down the back of the unit when you look at it from the burner side.
Simply tell him that you want to learn how to change the AC filter and he can show you where the filter is located, how to remove the old filter and insert the new one, and how to get the right filters for your system. An arrow on the filter frame shows the direction in which air should flow through the filter, which is always away from the return air duct and into the air treatment mechanism. George Brazil Air Conditioning and Heating provides Phoenix area residents with professional customer service to create comfortable, healthy, safe and energy-efficient places to live and work.
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