Where is the filter?

HVAC air filters are often an issue discovered during the Home Inspection

Notice anything missing? The filter media is missing from the filter frame!

When inspecting the HVAC system, the first thing I look at is the air filter. Is it installed? The condition of the air filter can sometimes suggest how the HVAC system has or has not been maintained.  I would like to share with you the various air filter defects I find. Filters can be completely missing, installed as the incorrect type which causes air-flow issues, backwards with the filter media being drawn into the blower fan (as seen in the picture), air filters so completely clogged that they cause no air-flow, loose because of improper sizing or just not secured in place,  old filters piled up inside the return plenum or still stuck in the ductwork and the list goes on and on. A filter is not simply a random item to change out occasionally. The air filter is a special component of the HVAC system. The filter must be the correct type, size and be installed correctly or an improper filter installation can create many HVAC issues.