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Topic: Overhead AC filters (Read 966 times) previous topic - next topic

Overhead AC filters

What's the consensus on filter media for the ac units,we bought some at lowes and cut to fit. One piece made enough for both
units.Ours does get dirty pretty quick.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #1 –
I would like to find a better filter. I clean my ac every year and get a lot of gunk out of the evaporator.
Bruce, Linda, and Macy
Zoey RIP 1/20/19
1999 U295 40' build #5400
2017 silver Jeep Wrangler, 1260 watts of solar on top
Moving around the country

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #2 –
I do what you did Dave- being full time I try to vacuum them every month- guess how good I do that... ^.^d
Ted & Karen
2001 U270 36' - sold after 12 years full timing

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #3 –
Has anyone ever tried a modification where one can use one of the
really good allergy filters, like Filtrete ? Mine get covered fairly quickly,
too. Kind of makes me wonder what is going inside our lungs ? ? ?

Carter-

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #4 –
John, I used to wash mine with dish detergent, rinse and blot dry with a paper towel and put them back in.
No RV! Have hung up the keys.
In the past: 2016 Winnebago Era, 1994 Foretravel U240, 1995 Foretravel U240 (wide body), 1999 Foretravel 320, 36 Foot, 2003 Foretravel U320 38 foot,

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #5 –
Here's how I do it (see pic). Removed the internal foam filter and went with these home-made ones (cut them out from furnace filters). The ONLY place I've found the flat and white filters is Lowes. They turn dirty after use.
1998 U270 34'

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #6 –
I use a piece of blue rubberized horsehair cut to fit,  with a couple of dryer sheets on the bottom behind the grill.
I can wash the horsehair and replace the dryer sheets when necessary.  Added bonus......... coach smells good.

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #7 –
I think the dryer sheets are a great idea
1995 U320 40', 2013 chevy sonic toad, my real love are corvettes have owned 30

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #8 –
The rubberized horsehair isn't doing a good job of filtering because it gets sucked up around the edges so the air isn't passing through it, but around it instead.  And the outside edge of the AC opening is not easily adapted to having a filter mounted that will actually filter the air because of its irregularities, but here's what I'm planning to do; 

Using GE Iron grip silicone I'll stick up some wood molding all around the opening about 3/4" from the bottom, and cut a piece of hardware cloth to match the opening.  Then I'll fit the hardware cloth up inside resting on the ledge that the wood created and silicone it in place while at the same time filling all the voids between the hardware cloth and the sides of the opening.

Then I should be able to simply use the filter material of my choice (up to 3/4"  thick), cut to fit.  It won't get sucked up inside because of the hardware cloth and the perimeter shouldn't leak air around it.

Whaddaya'll think??





 

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #9 –
It won't get sucked up into the AC.  If you buy a 20x14x1 filter, you can cut it in half and end up with 2 10x14x1 filters which need a little bit of modification to fit.  I had made a jig that I used to mark the areas that need to be cut away before I stuffed it up into the filter housing.  The 20x14x1 filter size will allow you to get filters that catch nearly everything going through them and are fairly easy to find anywhere.  The 3M models that have the metal mesh backing do a much better job of holding their shape after being cut.
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #11 –
We sort of have Robert's idea in that we put a single layer of stiff mesh in the opening and use the common removable washable thin foam.  The foam filter no longer gets sucked in on the edges, as the filter material stays flat edge  to edge.  But I do like Robert's idea of modifying a 3M Filterette air filter, also sold by Costco at probably the least cost anywhere.

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #12 –
There is only a little bit of area not covered by the filter at that point.  You can put a rubber or foam strip around the edge but I didn't worry about it.  You will have to fold the remaining filter over quite a bit to fit it into the filter opening but it will be wedged in tight enough that it won't get sucked in (assuming you don't let it go longer than 3 months of full time use at which point it will be very clogged). 

All of this is assuming you are using the late 1990's Dometic Penguin AC that was OEM from Foretravel.  Any other AC and I have no idea.  I keep thinking that my two ACs will eventually die on their own but the noisy as hell units keeps on running. 
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #14 –
Anything for the Traveling Man, even though he does not travel East to West. . .

Here are photos of our mod.  Somewhere we found stiff plastic mesh, but I think that putting a trimmed piece of hardware cloth would be a better solution.  We still use the standard minimal thin foam filter.

 

Re: Overhead AC filters

Reply #16 –
Looking at your mesh pictures brings to mind those inexpesive expanded aluminum BBQ grill covers for cooking veggies, etc. Cut it a bit oversize so when it's in place it has tabs that fold over the edge.
Thanks for the idea.