Metal plate over the Furnace filter... Question

I have never seen this before… is it ok. Or should it be removed or referred
to a HVAC contractor?

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x296/dawlita/Misc/Upland153.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x296/dawlita/Misc/Upland154.jpg

NOT ENOUGH INFO.

How about a shot with enclosure intact and one of the closet door?

Is there another filter ? where is the return air coming from .

What! you guys have never seen the new porous cement?

I do not it is the the new porous type Bob wrong color and no fiber showing for filtration

If that is a bottom return that metal plate should be out. Was the equipment being operated with the blower door off?

No…thanks for the feedback

So David where was it getting the return air from?

the front entrance of the house…as you walk in the door.
Im going to get you some more pictures…right now.

Is the return on the back of the furnace?

If so no furnace manufacturer that I know of recommends having the return of the back.

If it is a up flow it should not be a problem if i am looking at it right.

That return needs to be removed from the front of the furnace.
Gosh such a simple picture seems so complicated .
Something about the framing with your camera and the small size you pasted HTML style I guess.
Loading from your files would have been better .

Why does the bottom under the blower look like cement?

Maybe I am reading this all wrong, but if there was a metal sheet inside the bottom of the air handler unit (on top the horse hair filter?) than this unit was not getting any return air. It looks like the unit is sitting inside the air handler closet with a return air grill in the wall right below the closet door. Is this correct? Were you getting any supply air out of the ceiling / side wall registers?

I have seen sheet metal covers like this one in place for use during shipping only, not to be left in once the unit was installed.

Thats what makes no sense because it looks like there is effectively no return if it is supposed to draw air from an already bad location for a return.

Bob i believe it is mounted on the back side of the unit

Not according to the pictures… Why would someone put a filter in a unit then put a piece of sheet metal over it? I think it is just some homeowner was ignorant of how the system works and didn’t know any better.

Maybe the filter was getting sucked up into the drum.

That is what the hold down bale is to prevent (in the second photo is it that heavy gauge metal loop holding down the horse hair filter). By placing the sheet metal over the opening in the platform, it shuts off all return air up into the unit. The series of photos clearly shows they intended for the filter to be located under the squirrel cage fan and there is a return air grill located directly under the door of the air handler closet. So, one must assume the intention was for return air to enter the grill, pass up through the opening in the platform and filter, past the fan assembly and through the unit, just like 95% of all other HVAC units in the country.

I think only David can answer this.