How To Change Your Furnace Filter

Written on: February 7, 2022

This one task makes a big difference!

Life can get busy. But neglecting to change the air filter on your home’s furnace can cause problems.

Put an appointment on your calendar to check the air filter once a month and change it as needed. If you have dogs, cats, or other furry pets, do it more often because pet hair and dander can clog up your air filter faster.

Changing the air filter provides these three benefits.

1. Saving money. A clogged or unclean air filter increases the strain on your HVAC system, resulting in higher energy bills. Replacing your air filter as needed and giving your furnace an annual professional maintenance tune-up can help it operate at peak efficiency, ensuring that you spend the least amount of money necessary to keep your home warm and comfortable.
2. Preventing breakdowns. Did you know that a dirty or clogged air filter is one of the most common reasons for furnace failures? As previously stated, if your filters are not replaced on a regular basis, they will strain your furnace and cause it to work more insistently, resulting in greater wear on components and increasing he risk of breakdown and costly repairs. That wear also shortens the life expectancy of your furnace and forces you into having to buy a new furnace sooner than you should have to.
3. Improving indoor air quality. An air filter keeps airborne dirt, dust, and allergens from spreading throughout your house as long as it isn’t clogged. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, asthma, or breathing difficulties such as COPD, it’s critical to change your air filter on a regular basis. There is another benefit to regularly changing the air filter: Cleaning the house is easier because there is less dust and dirt circulating all over!

How to change your furnace’s air filter

The size of the air filter you have must be determined first. Check your furnace’s user guide for information or check the filter currently in your furnace. The width, length, and thickness of a filter are generally specified. If the air filter is identified as 16x25x1, it is 16 inches wide, 25 inches long, and 1 inch thick.

HVAC air filters are available at your local hardware or home improvement store. So, grab a few to make changing them easy all winter long.

To change the air filter, first turn off the heating system. Locate your furnace’s air filter. The majority of filters are housed in the blower compartment or metal ductwork before the blower fan.

Remove the old air filter and note the arrow on the frame indicating proper airflow direction. Make sure to replace it in the same manner as before. Use a permanent marker on the furnace housing or ductwork to indicate the airflow direction.

After removing the old filter, place it into a trash bag as right away to keep it from spreading dust and dirt.

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