When the cold rolls in, we rely on our furnace to keep us warm. When was the last time you thought about the condition of your furnace’s filter when you reached for your thermostat? Never fear! We’re here to take the guesswork out of this important upkeep.
What Does a Furnace Filter Do?
The short answer is that it improves the air quality in your home or business. It does this by trapping airborne contaminants and filtering them out of the air you breathe. Just as important, it keeps those same particles out of your heating and cooling system. This improves the machine’s function and can extend its life, saving you thousands on a replacement.
How Often Should Filters be Replaced?
Many factors go into the ideal replacement schedule for each home or business. For most furnaces, the rule of thumb is no more than three months between new filters. Some filters should be changed every 30-60 days.
Certain circumstances will require you to replace your filter more often.
- The size of your filter. Smaller filters, 1-2 inches thick, need to be replaced more often.
- How much traffic you have. A busy business or large family needs to have their filters changed more often. People introduce contaminants to your space that need to be filtered out. More people equals a dirtier filter.
- Pets. Furry friends add a lot of stress to furnace filters because hair and dander build up quickly.
- High usage. If you run your heating and cooling system all the time, your filters need to be changed more often to keep up with demand.
The Dangers of Not Changing Your Filters
Life happens — we get it. Changing furnace filters doesn’t always make it to the top of your list of things to do. If put off for too long though, old and dirty filters can cause a host of problems.
Reduced Comfort
An old filter can cause hot or cold spots in your home or business. You may notice rooms not reaching a comfortable temperature as quickly as you’d like.
Poor Air Quality
Allergies and respiratory irritations may become severe. Your furniture will collect dust faster because particles aren’t being efficiently filtered out of the air in your environment.
Overworked Systems
Your furnace has many small and delicate parts. The more the system is stressed, the more likely those parts will fail. It might hit your pocketbook too, causing an unexplained spike in your utility bill.
Dangerous Overheating
When air can’t push through a clogged filter, systems overheat. At best, you could experience short cycling. This is when your furnace will run, overheat, turn off, cool down and start back up over and over. Short cycling shortens the life of your system. At worst, the overheating could start a fire.
Do you have questions about your furnace filter?
If you’re not sure how often you should change your particular filter, help is just a call away! One of our licensed technicians will walk you through the type of filter you have and how often it should be changed. To maximize your air quality and your system’s performance, contact Aire One Barrie. Call 705-302-1964 or send us your furnace filter questions online.
