The Furnace Filters » furnace air filter

Furnace Filters Need to be Changed Regularly

Howard Kingsbridge — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:09:50 +0000

Furnace filters are greatly neglected due to the perceived inconvenience of maintaining them. This is true even though a furnace is a vital part of a home. Without it, there would be no heat during those cold winter days. After all, the furnace is all the way down in your basement where it may be damp and the lighting is bad. Who wants to go down there and fiddle around with a filthy furnace that may get your clothes all dirty? There are many reasons to take that trip downstairs regularly and to make sure that your filter is clean and your furnace is operating properly.

The Benefits of Changing your Furnace Filter

The benefits of changing furnace filters regularly are many. Think about the purpose of a filter in the first place. A furnace filter is a home air purifier meant to take the dust out of the air flowing in your home. If the filter is clogged with dust the furnace works harder trying to get air out and circulating in your home. The longer and harder the furnace works, the faster it will burn out and the higher your utilities bills will be. Imagine how hard you would have to suck on a straw with something stuck in the middle of it. You’d suck and suck to get a bit of liquid through the straw and after all that effort you could collapse. Your furnace is the same way.

Did you ever neglect a small cavity just to have it turn into a route canal? If you had just taken care of the tooth when the problem was small, you would have saved yourself a lot of time, pain and money. It is the same with your furnace. If you change the furnace air filters regularly and take care of the furnace, you’ll save a lot of time and expense in the long run.

When changing your filter, it is a good idea to use the same brand filters as your furnace. For example if you have a Honeywell furnace, use Honeywell furnace filters. I mention Honeywell because they are considered one of the best on the market. If you are looking for Honeywell furnace filters, you can find them cheaper online.

The Dangers of not Changing your Furnace Filters

We already discussed that changing your filters regularly will save you money on your utility bill as well as the time and expensive of replacing parts or worst case scenario your whole furnace. What about the serious dangers to you and your family if you neglect your furnace? First of all, a dirty furnace with clogged filters at best will allow a lot of dust to circulate in your home which you and your family will breathe in. At worst, there are fumes that the furnace will give off that are very unhealthy to breathe in. In today’s day and age where people spend a lot of time at home on their computers, on the TV or working from home, they would spend a lot of time breathing in these toxins.

The very worst danger is that a neglected and dirty furnace can actually blow up or cause a fire. Imagine the risk to your valuable items not to mention your invaluable family members and pets. This is a danger that can be prevented by regularly checking and changing your furnace filters.

Taking the time to take care of your furnace will save you from health problems that home air purifiers can counter, will save you time and will certainly save you a lot of money.

Electrostatic Furnace Filters

An electrostatic furnace filter uses the technology of static electricity to remove dust from the air. This has the benefit of having very little impact on air flow into your furnace. The reason this is beneficial is because some filters can limit air flow significantly causing the furnace to overwork which reduces its efficiency. Electrostatic filters are considered permanent furnace filters or reusable furnace filters since they do not need to be replaced.

A reusable furnace filter is otherwise known as a washable furnace filter. This means that you do not have to spend money every month on disposable filters. Washable furnace filters will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

How to Clean Your Furnace Filter

Howard Kingsbridge — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:17:44 +0000

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 the furnace filter 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.

Keeping Disposable or Washable Furnace Air Filters Clean

Howard Kingsbridge — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:32:12 +0000

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.

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 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.

Replacing Your Furnace Air Filter

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:07:34 +0000

If you regularly use a furnace in your home, or are planning to do so all winter, then replacing the furnace air filter must and should be made a part of your home maintenance. Contrary to most people’s fears, replacing furnace filters is a very easy task. More often, it’s just our lethargy that stops us from pursuing it, as opposed to difficulty.

Most of the furnace manufacturers recommend that furnace air filters be replaced monthly. The benefits of replacing your filter are increased efficiency of your furnace which equals lower utility bills and less wear and tear on your furnace. If you are unsure how often your filter needs to be changed, check your furnace operating manual. Once you have determined the frequency at which you need to replace the furnace air filter, educate yourself about the steps that need to be taken. Here is a broad outline of the process that you need to follow:

Power-off the furnace by turning off the electrical switch, before you replace the furnace filter. If you have a gas furnace, turn off the gas.
Locate the blower door and open it. Depending upon the model of the furnace, you may have to lift it up and then out, swing it open or just slide it out. Check the manual in case of difficulty. Some models have the door at the top of the blower.
Locate the furnace air filter and slide it out of its slot. Make sure you remember how the filter went in so you won’t have difficulty putting it back in the same way.
If the filter is coated with a thick layer of dirt, or you are unable to see through it, it is most likely not reusable. This is a sign to replace the filter.
Before you replace the furnace air filter, also make sure that you look for dust around the blower area. Dirt could clog up the furnace causing it not to work properly. You can sweep out this dust or vacuum it and then replace the furnace air filter.
You most probably have a fiberglass disposable filter that needs replacement. Look for the size and model number of the furnace air filter. Then, throw out the old filter and purchase a new one. Furnace filters are available at local hardware or home improvement stores.
Make sure to replace the new filter the same way you did the old one. This is important because furnace air filters are designed in a way that filters air only from one side, while the other side collects the dust. Usually, fiberglass furnace air filters have an oily side, meant to be facing the blower. If that’s difficult to determine, look for arrows on the air filter. These would indicate which way it needs to be installed.
Lastly, close the door of the blower and latch it on firmly. Your new furnace air filter is installed and ready to be used.