First, let me say I really enjoy living in Arizona. Second, I want to know why AZ does two things - Breaker boxes on the OUTSIDE of the home & WHY are furnaces/air handlers in the attic? It gets blazing hot in the summer and to change the filters you need a ladder to get to the stupid thing. Rant over.
I hate getting on ladders and I had a couple of paint roller extension poles. I printed this and added some furniture pad felt to the flat side. To change the filters:
I push the padded side up against the grille and then use another paint pole to undo the latches, then I can gently lower the grill and catch the old filter.
I balance the new filter on the pad, turn on the AC which then creates enough air flow to suck the filter in place and keep it there.
I then use the padded piece to close the grille and hold it shut while I used the other paint pole to close the latches.
It sounds complex, but I can do it quicker than I can drag the ladder in the house and there is zero chance of falling and zero chance of scratching the walls and door trim this way. The HVAC guy thought it was genius when he saw it.
The author marked this model as their own original creation.