Tips On Replacing Furnace Filters
Replacing old furnace filters should be done regularly for every home, but all too often people let them sit in the furnace collecting dust until they are too clogged to move air through efficiently. This can lead to serious problems in your furnace and drastically reduced airflow, costing you a lot more money in the long run. Yet for many people replacing the filters can be very challenging simply because they do not fully understand how to do it. Following these simple tips can help simplify the process and ensure that you get the best results from your furnace.
First of all, don’t be fooled by how often the filter directions tell you to replace your filter. Some cheap filters say they need to be replaced each month, but some very expensive filters say they only need to be changed every three months. These are only general guidelines, and the frequency has a lot to do with the size of your house and factors like whether you have pets. A larger house, or a house that has cats or dogs, needs to have the filters replaced twice as often as an apartment or a pet-free home. This is because the filters are pulling much more dust and hair through them than average, clogging them much faster.
It will be much easier to remember to change your filters if you buy them by the case and store the extra filters near your furnace. Have furnace filters within easy reach will remove many common excuses to procrastinate. Additionally, never, ever, use the wrong sized filter. A poorly fitting filter will allow dust and grime to bypass the filtration and be released back into your home to be breathed in and build up on surfaces all over the place. And lastly, make sure to turn your furnace off completely before installing a new filter. Switching the thermostat off is not enough, you need to go to the breaker box or the disconnect switch to ensure that you don’t receive a jolt from wires that are too close to the filtration system. This little step can literally save your life, don’t skip it.