In today’s plumbing and heating systems, various heating services provide your home with a comfortable temperature. You need to understand how to maintain the heating systems of your home properly. One of which is the furnace and its furnace filter. We will round up everything you need to know about furnace filters and how frequently you should change them for this article. From learning how they work to defining which furnace filter you have at home, consider this article a guide to help you clean the furnace filter you have. Let’s jump right in.
How do furnace filters work
To know how furnace filters work, first, let’s understand what a furnace is. In plumbing and heating systems, a furnace is a system of concentrated combustion contained in boxes people consider as an efficient form of heating. Most Canadian homes have furnaces to regulate and maintain the temperature inside, especially during the colder months. And now, this is where furnace filters come in. Furnace filters work by trapping airborne contaminants such as dust, dirt, mold, and other allergens that may affect the overall quality of air inside your home.
The benefits of changing the furnace filter
For obvious reasons, there are many benefits as to why you must change furnace filters appropriately. Here are the key benefits why you should change them frequently:
Produces healthy air and cleaner interiors
Changing your furnace filter improves the air quality inside your home. Poor indoor air quality can cause allergies and various symptoms such as sneezing, eye irritation, and respiratory problems. If you have asthma or any of your family members suffer from asthma, this can pose serious health risks. So, regularly changing furnace filters will prevent dust, dirt, and allergens from building up in the air systems inside your home.
Reduces energy costs
Clogged furnace filters entail damage costs. Also, when your furnace filter does not work well, this may be a great compromise to your energy costs. It also means an increase in your energy usage. Changing your furnace filter means that the furnace doesn’t have to work twice as hard, and you won’t be spending tons of money on unnecessary energy costs.
Makes your furnace last longer
All kinds of dirt accumulate in filters over time, especially during winter months when your heating systems are in peak use. As such, the dirt build-up may cause clogs in filters. Consequently, air can’t pass through efficiently. This results in overheating as the furnace will work harder to pass through the air. Overheating can cause severe damage, which may lead to replacements. Ultimately, this causes pollution and extra repairs that wouldn’t be necessary if you regularly change your furnace filters.
Define which types of filter you have
If you want to know more about changing your furnace filters, make sure that you know which type of filter you have.
Traditional fiberglass filters
The traditional fiberglass filters are glass mat filters composed of 15–60 μm glass fibers with high signature porosity. These are the traditional filters used in residential furnaces and other air conditioning systems. They are cost-effective, too. Their main purpose is to protect the furnace system from debris or dirt that might damage components like fans, heating motors, and heat exchangers.
High-efficiency filter
On the other hand, the high-efficiency filter has higher-end disposable furnace filters. You can mark the filters as ‘high efficiency, anti-allergen filters’ with denser, tighter-woven material. Such material makes it harder for smaller particles such as allergens to circulate throughout your home. However, you’ll have to run your furnace fan most of the time to get the maximum benefit from a high-efficiency filter. This will, of course, cost more.
The ideal frequency for changing furnace filters
Ideally, it would be best if you change furnace filters every three months. However, there are many factors at play that may affect the frequency of changing furnace filters. You should change your furnace filter depending on the type of furnace you have and the size of the filter. Thicker filters require less frequency when it comes to changing. For example, 1-2 inch filters need to be replaced every 1 to 3 months. For 3-4 inch filters, replace them every 6 to 9 months. Also, if your furnace filters call for a replacement, then do so immediately. If you are unsure of the frequency, you can consult with your local professional heating experts in Burnaby to help you out.
If you have a hard time changing your furnace filter, we will cover you. Our plumbing experts offer a wide variety of plumbing services to all customers in Burnaby and the surrounding areas. We cover all your plumbing and heating system needs, from leaks, clogs to furnace filters. If you also need emergency services to change your furnace filters, give us a call on 📞 (778)-772-8676 today, and we are more than happy to help you deal with the problem in no time!
