When it comes to buying an air filter, it's essential to get the right size for your air conditioning unit. But with all the sizes of air filters available, it can be overwhelming to find the right one. Fortunately, measuring for a 16x25x1 air filter is easy and straightforward. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you get the correct size filter for your home or office.
Step 1: Measure the length (L) and width (W) of the filter. (If the filter is not square, the smallest measurement goes first.)Step 2: Measure the thickness (depth) of the filter from front to back. Step 3: Put together the measurements (L x W x D). The actual size, as you might have guessed, is the actual dimensions of the filter in length, width and thickness. This size is usually in the filter just below the nominal size and is usually labeled as the actual size. When you buy a filter online, the actual size appears at some point in the product vignette or in the product description.
If your filter has no real dimensions on the outside of the filter, you can measure it to get the correct dimensions. Some brands have a foam gasket on the outside of the filter, in this case, make sure you have an actual compatible size and that it also has foam to ensure a perfect fit. Use a measuring tape to measure the length (L) at 26% width (W). The smaller size of the two is the length of the filter. Round the measurements to the nearest whole or half number. This is the easiest and most obvious way to find the size of your air conditioning filter, but not all filters have the size measurements indicated on them.
If you live in an old house, with a non-standard sized air return frame, you might want to use a waterproof foam tape to slightly increase the dimensions of your favorite filter or order a custom-sized air filter.Always open the air filter grille to take the measurement, don't assume that the inside measurement is the same as the outside measurement. When in doubt, you can always measure the air filter yourself using a ruler or any other measuring device. If you have to insert the air filter to install it, try a different brand furnace filter or a custom-sized air filter with a slightly smaller actual size. When you buy your air filter online, it's important to know that air filters come in two sizes: nominal size (which is a round size often used to label filters) and actual size. For example, if your filter label says 20 x 30 x 1, but when you measure it, you'll see that its actual size is smaller than its nominal size. For most common brands of air conditioning systems such as Goodman, Lennox, Trane, Rheem York, Coleman and Carrier, most standard air filter sizes work.
To ensure that your next filter is compatible with your system, measure its interior dimensions of its air filter inlet. Using an air filter that's too large or too small could cause air to flow around it (air bypass) and cause unfiltered air to recirculate into your home or office. If your filter doesn't have printed dimensions or if you don't have a reference filter handy, follow these steps to measure your existing air filter or air intake. Getting an air filter of the right size is one of the most important things you can do to protect your home and health. There are many options for buying air filters conveniently online, through an HVAC service company or in store.
