Product details
5 x 13 x 1 basic filters in the the exact size of 5 x 13 x 1. Finding the perfect fit filter isn't always easy so we teamed up with a leading manufacturer in indoor air filtration to offer the largest selection of high quality exact fit HVAC filters with up to a MERV 4 rating. This filter will be made to the exact dimensions of 5 x 13 x 1.
The low initial pressure drop and robust construction of this filter make it a solid choice to protect residential and light industrial equipment. It also helps keep heating and cooling coils clean, which lowers energy bills. Breathe easy knowing that these quality filters will help keep your indoor air pure.
- Media: Fiberglass
- Filter frame: 1-piece heavy chipboard
- Media support: No media retainer
- Low initial pressure drop
- Easy to install
- Lasts up to 30 Days (depends on use)
- Up to MERV 4
- UL Classified
- 12 pack (full case)
- Made to the exact size, no more confusion with filter sizes
- Manufactured in the USA
Manufacturing tolerances of plus 0, minus 1/8"" will be observed on overall width and length of filter. Picture is used as a reference, sizes will vary. Filters larger than 25x30x1 are considered a double filter where there is additional strength down the middle of the filter. If you have questions or concerns please contact us.
Commercial & facilities
Need 5x13x1 by the pallet?
Volume pricing on any size or MERV, plus recurring delivery schedules. We handle facilities and commercial orders daily and can usually match or beat distributor pricing.
Made for your slot — not forced to fit it
Exact Filters® are manufactured to your measurements. No trimming, no weatherstripping, no “close enough.” Built on the back of 50 years of HVAC filtration experience.
Built to your exact dimensions
Measured in 1/8″ increments. The frame matches your slot opening so the media fits where it's supposed to — no shimming, no weatherstripping.
Eliminates filter bypass
When a loose filter lets air slip around the frame instead of through the media, your filter underperforms its MERV rating — sometimes by 20-40%. A precise fit closes that gap so your filter does the job you paid it to do.
More detail on filter bypass further down this page.
If your filter slot doesn't match a standard size, you're exactly who these are for
Non-standard slots are more common than the big-box filter world wants to admit. Here's who typically lands on these pages.
Homes built before filter sizes standardized (roughly pre-1990) often have slot dimensions like 5 x 13 x 1 inches that don't match anything in a retailer's catalog. Regional manufacturers didn't converge on today's standard dimensions until the industry consolidated in the 1990s.
Broan, Nutone, obsolete units, and discontinued models often used proprietary slot dimensions that never made it into the standard-size catalog. If you can't find your filter anywhere, it's probably one of these.
When an HVAC installer frames a filter slot in the field — especially during a retrofit — they cut to fit the space, not to match a standard filter. The result: a slot that works perfectly for the system but nothing off the shelf fits.
Adding HVAC to a space that wasn't built for it — finished basements, converted attics, additions — almost always produces non-standard slot dimensions. The new system respects the existing envelope, so the filter has to respect the slot.
Mid-century commercial buildings, converted spaces, schools, clinics, and multifamily properties with older AHUs routinely have slot dimensions outside the standard catalog. Volume orders for these properties are a significant share of our Exact Filter business.
Clinical spaces, labs, server rooms, and any environment where air bypass around the filter is a compliance or performance issue — not just a nuisance. If MERV rating matters for your space, slot fit matters too.
Filter bypass — why a loose filter wastes your MERV rating
Filter bypass is what happens when air flows around your filter instead of through it. If there's a gap between the filter frame and the slot — even a small one — air takes the path of least resistance, which is the gap. That air never gets filtered.
The math is punishing. A filter rated MERV 11 that's bypassed by 15% of the airflow effectively performs closer to MERV 8. A MERV 13 with 20% bypass performs closer to MERV 10. This is documented in ASHRAE literature and is a standard problem in field filter performance.
The usual workarounds don't actually work well. Foam weatherstripping around the filter edge compresses unevenly and shifts during operation. Undersized filters with gap-filler material block part of the face area, reducing effective filtration surface. Oversized filters that get forced into the slot warp, reducing media effectiveness and creating turbulence.
Bypass doesn't just waste your MERV rating — it eats your equipment. Unfiltered air carries dust, pet dander, and construction debris straight into the parts of your system that aren't supposed to see any of it. Evaporator coils cake with buildup that reduces heat transfer, meaning the compressor works harder and runs longer. Blower wheels get coated and throw off balance, accelerating bearing wear. A season of 15–20% bypass can add up to a coil cleaning service call that runs several hundred dollars; a few years of it can shorten compressor life or require coil replacement that runs into the thousands. If your filter standard isn't perfect, it's not just air quality you're sacrificing — it's the equipment behind the filter slot.
The fix is a filter built to your slot. That's what Exact Filters are. The frame meets the slot edges with the right tolerance — no crushing, no gap. The filter captures the air it's supposed to capture, at the MERV rating you paid for.
Cases of 12. Pallets for portfolios. Standing orders for the properties that need them.
Exact Filters ship as cases of 12 — the quantity commercial buyers, facility managers, and serious maintenance operations order by default. Older schools and clinics run through them at the ASHRAE-recommended 90-day cadence. Multifamily properties stock them in the maintenance room. Property management companies consolidate the spec across their entire portfolio.
We'll quote volume pricing, set up net-terms or tax-exempt accounts, consolidate mixed sizes under one PO, and schedule standing delivery matched to your change-out cycle.
Homeowners stocking a multi-year supply get the same case pricing — no minimum negotiation required.
What customers say about 5x13x1 Exact Filters Fiberglass MERV 1-4 (12 pack)
Questions specific to Exact Filters
Ordering a custom-made filter is different from grabbing a stocked size. Here's what customers ask before they order.
Not sure if 5x13x1 Exact Filters Fiberglass MERV 1-4 (12 pack) matches your slot?
Send us your measurements or the HVAC unit model. Our team has two decades of sizing Exact Filters for homes and facilities — we'll tell you if the size you're ordering is right, or flag if something looks off.