Furnace Filters Need to be Changed Regularly

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 air filter 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 a Honeywell furnace filter, you can find it cheaper online. The company makes all kinds of furnace filters including washable, disposable and Honeywell electronic furnace filters.

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 furnace 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. That is what makes proper filtering and ventilation important.

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 or reusable furnace filters since they do not need to be replaced often.

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 which you might otherwise think are a good choice as cheap furnace filters. Washable furnace filters will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

You can get more information about furnace filters and other Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) topics by visiting the HVAC talk forum. Our site also covers many different HVAC topics such as how to use a portable air conditioner; choosing a ceiling fan heater or bathroom ceiling heater; using halogen heaters as an alternative form of heating to choosing fireplace grates for your fireplace and much more. If there is a topic you would like to see covered, please feel free to contact us.

If you want to properly take care of your furnace then you should know the difference between reusable furnace filters and disposable furnace filters and the benefits of each. Disposable furnace filters are cheaper in the short run but disposable furnace filters are better quality and will save you money in the long term.

The purpose of furnace filters is to both protect your furnace from dust and other particles in the air as well as to protect to filter mold, dust and other particles from the air that can harm or irritate us humans. On the most basic level there are two kinds of furnace filters. Disposable which are popular because of their low price and permanent filters otherwise known as reusable filters or washable filters.

Reusable filters are known to be superior over disposable ones. They do a better job at filtering the air to protect your furnace and your own health. The disposable furnace air filters simply allow too many particles to pass through them. Even among reusable filters they are not all built the same. The cheapest type are made completely from metal and their filtering capacity is very poor indeed.

When shopping for a reusable air filters look for ones that are treated with a material that will stop mold from forming. This is important since the filters can get wet and the basement where the furnace is located is often dank. In addition, the frame of a reusable furnace filter should be made from aluminum. Monofilament polypropylene is a good choice for the rest of the filter.

Reusable filters are more expensive than disposable ones at the outset but they save you money in the long run since you do not have to replace them. On the flip side however, they require more maintenance. Make sure to check your furnace air filter about once a month to see if it needs to be cleaned. Failing to do so will make your furnace over exert itself in order to push air through the clogged holes. This overuse can result in repairs and will certainly cause your energy bills to rise. In addition, make sure to purchase your filters from a quality brand. Honeywell furnace filters are reusable and are known for their superior quality.

Although it is pretty easy to clean your filter by rinsing it off with a hose or in the bathtub, people often do not find the time to get around to it.  A great tip is to keep two filters on hand. That way you can quickly change the filter when needed and you can clean the dirty one when time permits.

Those are the basics of reusable furnace filters. Choose filters made out of top materials and treated against mold, check and clean them regularly and enjoy the savings in the long run over disposable furnace filters.

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.