The Furnace Filters » washable furnace 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 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.

Caring for Washable Furnace Filters

Howard Kingsbridge — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:56 +0000

If you use washable furnace filters in your furnace instead of the replaceable kind, you will save money over time. When you consider the fact that furnace filters should be cleaned or replaced every month, you will quickly see the cost savings that can add up from using washable furnace filters.

Maintenance techniques for washable furnace air filters vary, depending on the type of filter you have, but for the most part, the procedure is similar. Make sure you read the instructions for your furnace thoroughly, so that you understand the proper procedure. Before getting ready to remove the furnace filter, you should disconnect the power and fuel supplies as a safety precaution. Then, you need to locate the service panel for the furnace, and open the door, being careful to follow the instructions provided in the instruction manual. Opening the door might require the use of a tool, such as a screwdriver. Make sure that the replacement washable furnace filter that you purchase is quality made. If not, it will clog easily and you’ll have to replace it prematurely. Honeywell furnace filters make excellent and reliable washable filters.

Once the service panel is open, you will want to locate the washable furnace air filter. Depending on the type and brand of filter you are using, it will look different. However, basically, you will be looking for a rectangular object, about an inch wide, which is made from a spongy material. Once you locate the filter, remove it, and hold it up to the light to see if it appears to need cleaned. If you cannot see through the filter, it is time to clean it. Because of the fact that washable furnace filters do not need to be thrown away and replaced each month, you simply need to remove the washable furnace filter, and clean it. You will probably want to do this outdoors if possible, or in a utility sink where it will not matter if you splash some water. You can rinse the dirt and debris off washable furnace filters with a garden hose, sink spray hose, or simply by running the filter under the faucet of a utility sink. When you are done, be sure to let the filter dry thoroughly before you replace it in the furnace. This will help to prevent it from clogging again prematurely. Close the service panel door, and reconnect the power and fuel sources. The entire cleaning process will probably take less than 15 minutes to complete, and will go a long way towards keeping your furnace in good working order, as well as keeping the air you breathe free of dirt and airborne particles and pollutants.

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. 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.