K&N 20x20x1 HVAC Furnace Air Filter, Lasts a Lifetime, Washable, Merv 11, the Last HVAC Filter You Will Ever Buy, Breathe Safely at Home or in the Office, HVC-12020

Had saved us a lot of money. We have 4 dogs and needed to replace our air filter every month no matter the rating. This has helped us save so much money. Cleaning is easy and seems to work just fine.

I've slowly replaced every filter-based system with these K&N Home filters. HVAC? Replaced. PC? You betcha, I replaced a side panel on my Lian Li O11 Dynamic with one and can now run a positive pressure system, so dust can't get in .. so nice (if you're curious, I selected that beefy case just for this as the extra width and internal 3x120fan bay allow for this type of filtration once you seal up the inner-wall). Home Theater cabinet? Yep! Air purifier? I jerry-rigged that too and so far, my neighbor hasn't noticed his box fan missing.Are they a tad expensive? Yeah, but the amount of use you're getting out of them is pretty high and they come in cheaper than many of the other "washable" aluminum filters. Out of all "washable" filters I've tried, these function pretty dang well -- and cleaning is a synch. No, you don't need their filter cleaner, you can use some diluted degreaser (dishwashing soap works) in a spray bottle, spray that on, and let it soak, then wash it out (opposite of the airflow, so the dust collecting side is down). Use a flashlight or ceiling light to see through to gauge the cleanliness, more light = more clean .. science!But let's talk fit and performance.Fit:- They're a tad undersized, so you'll want to get some gasket material to make sure you get a good seal.- They come in only (at the moment) 1x# sizes (more like 3/4"), but I hope they will introduce 2" and 3" sooner than later.Performance:- Air flow is surprisingly high with these, higher than a normal comparable fabric/paper filter, and way higher than one rated at this spec.- They have a very high pleat count, so that maximizes the surface area to allow for better airflow.- Static pressure was also better in comparison during my tests.- My HVAC blower got "quieter" running 1x25" filters versus the 2x25" disposable fabric-based ones I had in it before.- Be cognizant to keep them maintained and washed for best performance.I haven't finished my round of additional testing (lack the right meter) to see the particle size that gets through these, but I will say that since switching to them about 6 months back, all I find in the house is a very fine dust -- I'm planning additional tests to see if that is just residual dust in the system (~16 years worth) that is working free.

I ordered 2 of these K&N filters to fit 2 of 3 of my returns. Picked up 14x20x1 and 20x20x1 since they don't have 14x14x1 (yet). I've read plenty of reviews before purchasing both K&N and Trophy Air filters. What I've concluded from those reviews are, either your sacrificing air quality vs air flow efficiency... of course since the higher MERV will restrict more air flow to provide cleaner air. This has always been the case and if you want a whole house filter, then consider expanding to a 4" filter since they are replaced 6 months to 1 year.What I did not see in these reviews are actual numbers or metrics from an anemometer. I've conducted a simple test in Feet Per Minute holding the anemometer center of the return vent:# 14x20x1 (Downstairs, Amana 2 ton system)- Trophy Air (MERV 4/5): ~600 FPM- K&N (MERV 11): ~500 FPM# 20x20x1 (Upstairs, Amana 2.5 ton system)- Trophy Air (MERV 4/5): ~425 FPM- K&N (MERV 11): ~400 FPM# 14x14x1 (Upstairs, Ext. of Amana 2.5 ton system)- Trophy Air (MERV 4/5): ~225 FPM- K&N (MERV 11): TBD - Will update once they produce this sizeBased on my test results, we can see it's not that dramatic difference like some critical reviews. This is why I like numbers rather than "bro science" assumptions. For those who need >= MERV 13 / filtering <= 1 micron, look into expanding from 1" to >= 4" filter. Seen too many negative reviews with folks expecting >= MERV 13 who bought these... ...washable filters... 🤨Since the K&N has a higher MERV rating, this filter will be used during the allergy seasons; fall and spring. I will be using the Trophy Air during the summer and winter seasons since the HVAC runs more during these months.Both are excellent quality and will need more time to experience how well they perform. I ordered both since I would need a filter while the other one is drying and having 2 different MERV rated filters, this K&N was the perfect choice since it's one of the highest (MERV 11) rated washable filter.Will update this review...

I use this 20“ x 20“ Merv 11 air filter in conjunction with a 20“ x 20“ “Premium Lasko” box fan in my living room where I smoke. It works far, far better than Merv 13 new air filters at removing smoke dust and anything else. Though the K&N filter is slightly more restrictive in airflow than throwaway Merv 13 filters (which unto themselves are restrictive) I just turn my heavy duty “Premium Lasko” box fan on high or mostly medium. When the filter is still dry I place it in the tub and spray it thoroughly (up/down and across, front and back) with 409 cleaner and let it rest for approximately 10-15 minutes then I rinse thoroughly. I wash it weekly in the tub with my shower wand on pulse mode and carefully rinse 12-18” from filter at an angle opposite the normal airflow arrows. Formally I used Zepp cleaner but it was too expensive yet the 409 cleaner is doing a better job of removing all from the air cleaner and provides a decent scent. Be careful not to use anything caustic on the filter because it is fabric/synthetic and the screen is aluminum and the frame is plastic. The 409 cleaner seems to be safe as was the Zepp medium duty cleaner but not as effective. I just happened to have a gallon of the Zepp cleaner from two years ago that I never liked and now I know why. Bad buy.