Why You Should Avoid Cheap No-Name Furnace Filters

The efficiency of your home HVAC system depends on it being well maintained, and this includes regular furnace filter changes. The prices of furnace filters can vary a lot depending on the make & model of your furnace, so take care to ensure that when you buy a replacement furnace filter you’re getting a quality product that will do the job right. The truth is, a really cheap furnace filter may end up costing you more down the road.

We all like to save money, and none of us really want to spend more than we have to on the various consumable products and supplies that we use around our homes to keep things working properly. However, as we all know, there can be a fine line between getting a great deal on a quality item and spending less on a really cheap product. In some instances, a low-quality product might not be a really big deal, like buying one-ply toilet paper instead of cushy two-ply stuff. On the other hand, when it comes to the quality of the air you breathe in your home and the amount you spend on energy bills every year, the difference between a good furnace filter and a cheap one can be quite significant.

We believe that in order to get the most value for your money, you need to know the real differences between a cheap furnace filter and those that might cost a little more. Here, we’re going to run through exactly what you need to know when shopping for replacement furnace filters, including a few handy tips you can use to seek out the best deals, because ‘low cost’ doesn’t always have to mean ‘low quality’.

Why Are Some Furnace Filters More Expensive?

Furnace filters may not look like much on the surface, but looks can be deceiving. In fact, there’s a lot of science and engineering that goes into making furnace filters work efficiently at capturing airborne particles and keeping the air in your home clean. Depending on the types of materials, the structure, and the physical construction of the filter, you will notice a big variance in how certain filters will perform in your furnace.

In general, cheaper filters will use lower-quality materials in their construction, and their design will not be as complex. While they still might meet the bare minimum specifications to be sold here in Canada, these cheap filters will certainly not last as long in your furnace, and absolutely will not capture airborne particles as effectively. If you want to keep your home air clean and fresh, you’ll need to change a cheap furnace filter much more often than one that has a more efficient design and uses higher quality materials.

Branding also matters, particularly because those larger manufacturers have a reputation to uphold. It’s not to say that you can’t get a good filter from a brand you’re not familiar with, it just means that you can have a bit more confidence as a consumer when you’re buying from a well-known and popular brand. Quality of materials will be more consistent, and manufacturing processes of these filters will likely have closer tolerances, providing better fit and predictable performance results from each filter change.

Let’s take a closer look at the physical properties of furnace filters, and why the might change between cheap filters and those that cost a little more.

Differences in Furnace Filter Design, Construction, and Materials

One of the first things you might notice is that some filters are ‘flat’ while others have a ridged design, usually called ‘pleated’ filters. This design difference is all about creating more surface area while occupying the same space. By creating those pleats in the filters, manufacturers are able to increase the amount of surface area on the filters to improve the ability to capture and retain a larger amount of airborne particles. This translates into longer filter life, and more consistent airflow throughout the life of the filter.

Flat filters will load up with particles faster, and begin to restrict the flow of air through your furnace, decreasing its energy efficiency and requiring more frequent filter changes. Creating a pleated filters requires additional materials and more complex manufacturing processes, which is why pleated filters of the same size will usually be more expensive than flat filters. It costs more to make pleats, but they also last longer and work better than flat filters do, so in this regard you definitely get what you pay for.

The materials themselves will be different as well. The cheapest furnace filters are usually made from fiberglass, spun into thin sheets. Fiberglass filters will typically have a lower filter efficiency rating, but are very affordable. Pleated filters are most often made from either a polyester fabric or a cotton fabric material, producing a tighter weave between the fibers that is better at filtering out tiny particles. Pleated filters have a much higher efficiency rating, and because of their pleated construction, will last longer in between filter changes.

Speaking of efficiency ratings, you might be wondering what these are, and how you can spot a good filter. The answer lies in looking for the MERV rating for each filter. Let’s explore this in more detail.

MERV Ratings & Filtration Efficiency

MERV is an acronym for ‘Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value’, and it refers to the ability of the filter to capture particles from the air that are between 10 microns and 0.3 microns in size. MERV ratings start at 1 (the least efficient filter) and can go as high as 20 (incredibly high efficiency). As you’d expect, the higher the MERV rating, the more expensive the filter usually is. For your home furnace, the base recommended MERV rating is about a 7 or 8, and the top-end is usually about a MERV 16. Filters that have a rating higher than MERV 16 are generally considered to be HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, and are most often used in standalone air purifier units.

Now, it’s important to note that as the MERV rating increases, it’s not just the price that changes. A higher MERV rating also means higher resistance of airflow through the filter. This is part of what makes the filter better at capturing those tiny particles, but if the air resistance is more than what your furnace should have, it can result in higher energy bills as your furnace has to work harder to move the air. Choosing a MERV rating between 8 and 16 will ensure that you’re right in the sweet spot for the majority of home furnaces.

When shopping for a furnace filter, you might see some that are marketed as ‘allergy control’ filters. What’s important to know about these filters is that there is no special material or unique process to manufacturing them. Allergy control furnace filters are simply those with a MERV rating of about 10 or higher. If you or someone in your home suffers from seasonal allergies or has some type of respiratory sensitivity, these higher-efficiency filters can make a big difference in the frequency and severity of allergy symptoms, but they will be a little more expensive than a lower-rated MERV 8 filter. Nevertheless, keeping dust, pet dander, pollen, and other airborne allergens under control can certainly help you breathe a lot easier and makes these filters worth the extra cost.

Are Cheaper Filters Good Enough?

That’s the real question, isn’t it? Ultimately, it’s entirely up to you, but when we spend our hard-earned cash on filters designed to keep the air in our homes clean and ensure our furnace operates at optimum efficiency, we want to make sure we get our money’s worth. That’s not to say that we’re always hunting for the most expensive filters, but knowing that you’re getting a good quality, high-efficiency filter to keep airborne particles out of your living spaces certainly provides a level of peace of mind that’s worth the investment.

Speaking of knowing what you’re getting, there are some words of caution that we really believe you should know when shopping for replacement furnace filters online.

Are You Really Buying the Filter You Think You’re Buying?

Here at Dan the Filter Man, we feel an obligation to our customers to help them make the best possible choice of furnace filters for their home. This means providing as much information and guidance as possible so that you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls. Specifically, we’ve noticed an unfortunate trend among other online furnace filter suppliers that makes the process of getting the right furnace filter purposefully confusing. On some online retailers, you’ll often see two identical-looking furnace filters displayed on the same product page, with one shown as a lower price than the other. This is a common approach that some furnace filter suppliers use to push their own house-brand furnace filters or knock-off versions in place of OEM replacements or brand-name filters.

In fact, many retailers even go so far as to automatically select their house brand filters on these product pages instead of the OEM filters you were searching for, so you might not even be aware that they’re not the authentic filters you intended to buy until they arrive at your door. It’s definitely a bit underhanded, and really puts the onus on the consumer for paying close enough attention to ensure they’re not being misled.

While these cheaper filters are promoted as ‘compatible’ and sometimes even listed under the brand names of popular furnace and filter manufacturers, they are NOT produced using the same exacting standards and quality materials of the bigger manufacturers. Technically, these cheap replacements might be ‘good enough’ to pass the bare minimum standards for compatibility, but they are often made with lower-grade materials and use flimsier construction so they’re just not as durable or reliable over the long-run.

Shop Smart for Quality Furnace Filters

So, to sum up, we can offer the following simple tips to help make sure that you’re getting the best balance of performance and value when you’re shopping for furnace filters.

1. Verify the Right Filter Size – Check your existing filter or furnace owner’s manual for the right filter size before you buy. Still need help? Check our Guide to Furnace Filter Sizes for everything you need to know about finding the proper filter size for your furnace.
2. Get to Know MERV – Don’t settle for anything less than a MERV 8 rating, and go for 10 or higher for better allergy control & cleaner air. Want to know more about MERV rating? We’ve got a complete Guide to MERV Ratings and what they mean right here!
3. Check the Brand Twice – Don’t fall for super-cheap furnace filters or knock-offs when you think you’re buying name-brand. Look carefully and verify your cart before you complete your purchase. If you’re still not confident, just reach out to us. We’ll help you find the right ones!

We hope that you’ve found this information helpful! We know that you don’t want to waste your time or your money on products that fall short in performance and quality. When you’re buying replacement furnace filters, put these tips to good use and make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck!