How to Clean Your Furnace Filter

Have you been putting off cleaning the furnace filter area in your home? Do you feel it’s a tedious task and thinking about it just makes your toes curl? Well, think again. Keeping furnace filters clean is a lot more important that you think, since they catch a lot of dust and dirt and can cause several respiratory health hazards. Moreover, a clean furnace air filter increases the efficiency of the furnace, thus minimizing energy bills as well as repair costs.

If you plan on keeping the furnace running continuously all winter, it would do you a great deal of good to inspect the furnace filter no less than once a month. In case you use disposable furnace air filters made of fiber glass, it is recommended that you consider getting a permanent furnace filter. Filters made of fiber glass are not recommended. Reusable furnace filters are dependable, and can be purchased for less than fifty dollars. This is definitely a smart investment that will save you a lot of money on filters, and not to mention, on energy. Honeywell furnace filters are an example of reusable filters. If cleaning really gets to you, you may be surprised to learn that cleaning furnace filters is not as hard as you imagined it to be.

Needless to say, always start by turning off the power to the furnace. Next, find the service panel and get it open. This task might need a screw driver depending on the type of furnace that you have. Locate the furnace filter which looks like a spongy, rectangular, framed-mesh screen and is usually located vertically or horizontally beside the intake–outtake blower. Slowly pull the furnace filter out of its slot and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see through the filter, that’s an indication that the furnace filter needs cleaning. Even if the filter does not appear overly dirty, there’s no harm in cleaning it anyway. If you have a disposable furnace filter, then it’s time to replace it.

In the case of a reusable filter, take it to the utility sink or use a hose pipe to rinse the dust particles away with water. It’s preferable to do this somewhere outside the house, like in the driveway or the backyard. Leave it to dry and then place the filter back into the furnace. You can now safely say that you have a clean and energy-efficient filter.

Before you go about learning how to change or clean a washable furnace filter, it would be useful to take a look at what these devices are and exactly what purpose they fulfill. Furnace air filters are used in heating as well as cooling furnaces to cover the intake of air. They allow the regulation of temperature by enabling air to flow freely into the system, and most importantly, act as a trap for dust and dirt that is contained in the air.

Now that you understand what furnace air filters are and what purpose they serve, we can take a look at the importance of cleaning or replacing them on a regular basis.

With either washable furnace filters or disposable furnace filters, changing  or cleaning your furnace air filter is something you can do on your own. It is a mandatory step in the proper maintenance of the furnace. Neglect in this area can cause several problems. One of these problems is system blockage. When your furnace filter is dirty, they cannot allow air to flow through freely and this can cause the furnace to seize up or stop working.

Another major consequence of dirty furnace filters is poor air quality. The air intake into the furnace will be dirty, containing all types of contaminants, and so will the output of air. This is especially harmful for people suffering from allergies or asthma and these people may consequently need to use a humidifier in the house. In terms of quality, Honeywell furnace filters are top notch.

It is useful to know that keeping your furnace air filter clean can reduce the heating bills by anywhere between 5 and 15 per cent. This becomes of even more importance if you live in a cold region, where a major portion of your monthly expenditure goes towards heating. It cannot be stressed upon any further that maintaining a clean furnace air filter is a sure-shot way to reduce energy costs, improving the quality of indoor air, and avoiding health hazards.

In short, it is important to clean your furnace filter on a regular basis to make sure that they are free of any kinds of microscopic bugs, viruses, pollen, dust, mite, etc., which could get lodged within the net of the filters. This is especially important if you live in a crowded metropolis with a lot of pollution. In such a case furnace air filters might need more frequent care. It is always advisable to clean or replace furnace air filters around once a month to maintain a good quality of indoor air, whether you suffer from any allergies or not.

Washable furnace filters will save you a lot of money over buying disposable furnace filters monthly. This is an important factor to keep in mind. All you need to do each month is remove your washable furnace filter, rinse it out and dry it and replace it. This will keep your air clean, your furnace maintained and will save you a lot of money.