Save $$$ By Changing Your Furnace Filter

The furnace in your home is just like any other piece of machinery, it needs a good service. One of the main things to change which could save you energy which in turn saves you money, is the filters on the furnace. A blocked air filter can cause air the blowback which makes the furnace work harder to pump the warm air through the home, dirt can also make its way into the fan and damage components.

Changing filters on a regular basis can help preserve the life of your furnace and also make it work more efficiently, you can save home heat and plenty of $$$.

Types Of Air Filters

There are many different varieties of air filters for all types of furnaces, though the most common filter is the washable fibreglass filter, these are also the least effective. You are able to purchase high efficiency particulate air filters which are also called the HEPA Filter. The HEPA filter uses electrical fields to help capture and trap particles of dirt, dust and debris. HEPA can also be an expensive choice, but would you rather that or a new furnace all together?

The best choice here would be to use one that the manufacturer suggest in your manual booklet, if you would like to use HEPA, contact them and ask them if that would be okay for your model.

Where Is My Air Filter?

Air filters can be found along the length of the return duct which can be hidden in walls, behind the furnace or even be inside the furnace itself. Again, I would personally refer to the manual here for where it is located as you do not want to be messing around with it too much as you may do some damage. Don’t have the documentation anymore? No problem, just perform a quick Google search for your model number and type “manual” after, you should be able to download your manual in PDF form.

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The modern HVAC systems are actually located in the return air grill. If you have a different system then start at the air handler and work backwards to the return air grill.

Changing & Cleaning

The disposable filters need to be changed on a regular basis, I would say at least once a month and during the winter, twice a month for maximum efficiency. For the washables, I clean mine every two weeks, I usually let them soak in a bathtub for a couple of hours with a simple water and vinegar solution, though they are washable they should be completely disposed of and changed every 6 months.