What to do about stripped screws and old paint on air filter door?

[Loretta]

How can I get this door open to change my filter?  Pre COVID the condo building did them for us on a regular schedule but is no longer providing this service in the units. The screws are stripped and it has many layers of paint on it over the last 40 years. I’d also like to be able to have it more accessible long term if there are solutions you can suggest! 

It’s definitely dustier in my place and I know the filter behind the door must be filthy. My mom is staying with me currently and coughing from the dust so I need to find a solution. In full disclosure I am not a strong lady and I am also recovering from surgery so strong arming it into submission is not an option here.

Thanks guys!

[Papa bear]

Is it slotted or Phillips or some other head?  If slotted, cut a deeper slot with a hacksaw, then use your screwdriver to remove.  Or if it’s Phillips, try a Robertson (square) head, put it in, lightly tap the driver with a hammer, and then remove.   If it’s just filled with paint, use a utility knife to remove the paint.

If you can’t use a driver, use pliers or locking pliers to grab the screw head and hand twist it out. Replace the screws with new ones. 

If you can’t twist out the screws, cut the heads off with an oscillating tool.  Then after removing the cover, use tour pliers to remove the threaded screw piece left. 

Change your filter every 3 months.  Keeping a very dirty filter causes your HVAC system to work harder and can damage the unit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fishindude]

Since you can't open it, I suspect you mean the heads of screws are all damaged so that a screw driver won't unscrew them?
If this is the case, I would get a Dremel tool with small cut off wheel and cut a slot in the head of the screw so that a standard screw driver works.   If that fails, use same Dremel tool with a small grinder and completely remove the screw heads.   If you can get the old screws out, just get new screws and replace in same locations.  If the old screws won't come out, it would be a rather simple matter to drill holes beside the existing screws, through the grill and screw into whatever is behind it to keep the door closed.

[Greystache]

Are you sure it is opened with screws? You should not need tools to change a filter. Look at the three tabs at the top edge of the photo. Do those tabs pull out and release the grate?