An essential part of house maintenance is changing your furnace's air filters on a regular basis. Why you should change your air filter, how often to do it, how to pick the best filter, and how to do it yourself are all covered in this article.
Why Is It Important To Change The Air Filter In Your Furnace?
1) A dirty air filter makes your furnace's blower motor work harder, wasting energy. This makes changing your furnace's air filter crucial. You can save up to $50 a year on energy costs by changing your air filter; and
2) Over time, the air filter in your furnace becomes clogged with the airborne debris that it is intended to catch; as a result, as it becomes dirty, it becomes less effective at purifying the air in your home.How Often Should You Replace the Air Filter in Your Furnace?
Your individual home will depend on a number of factors, including the following, to determine how frequently you should change your air filter:
You should change the air filter in your furnace more frequently if you have a family member who suffers from allergies or asthma.
You should change your air filter more frequently if there are a lot of particulates in your home due to things like smoking, pets, construction projects, etc.The effectiveness of the filter you apply will also affect the suggested frequency. Although higher efficiency filters are better at eliminating smaller airborne particles, they also clog more quickly and require more frequent replacement.
How Do I Pick the Right Air Filter for My Furnace?
The best air filter for your specific home and living scenario depends on a number of factors, similar to how frequently you should change your filter.Knowing the filter's size is the first thing to take into account while selecting it. Simply look at the side of the filter that is currently in your furnace to determine the size that you require. Most filters will be marked with their size right there (see types, costs, and reviews of furnace air filters). It is important to check with your furnace's manufacturer if you are unsure whether the correct size was initially installed.The MERV rating of the filter is the next factor to take into account when selecting the best filter for your house. The removal of dust, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, and other contaminants from the air as it passes through an air filter is measured using MERV ratings. The smaller the particle that the filter can trap, the higher the MERV rating, which ranges from 1 to 16. A few of the most popular filters used in homes only have a MERV rating of 1 to 4. Despite being relatively cheap, these air filters are ineffective since they cannot capture particles smaller than 10 microns.Better options include filters with MERV ratings of 5 to 8, which may capture particles as small as 3 microns. For those who want the best particle management possible, filters with a MERV rating of 9 to 12 are an excellent option because they will stop particles in the 1 to 3 micron range. The most effective filters can stop particles as fine as.3 microns and have MERV values of 13 to 16. Hospitals and other extremely clean settings employ these filters.Important: If you choose to use a high efficiency air filter with a MERV rating of 9 or higher, it is crucial that you remember to check the filter once a month (which will be simple to remember if you've signed up for free reminders from Home-Wizard.com!) and replace the filter if it appears to be dirty. If the filter becomes clogged, your furnace blower will have to work harder, which will use more energy and cost you more money to run. So unless you are certain that you will be renewing them frequently, avoid purchasing filters with a higher MERV rating.In addition to electrostatic and pleated filters, there are also HEPA and activated carbon filters. Some are washable, while others are disposable. However, as mentioned above, the MERV rating is what actually counts.How Can I Do It Myself?
Once you know how, changing your furnace's air filter is one of the simplest do-it-yourself projects out there. Here is a little YouTube video that demonstrates where your furnace filter is typically located and how to replace it: replace furnace filter
The measures you take to replace your furnace filter are as follows:
The first step is to locate your current filter and read the size listed on its side.
Step 2: Determine the proper MERV rating for your home's circumstances (see above).
Step 3 is to buy the filter. To save making further journeys or placing online shopping, you might want to think about purchasing enough to last you the full year.
Turn off your furnace in
Step 4. However, you may also change it at your thermostat. It is ideal to do this immediately at the breaker.
Step 5: To install the new filter in the same direction as the old one, look at the existing filter to see which way the "air flow" arrow is pointing. The air flow arrow is usually printed directly on filters. However, you can perform what is known as the "string test" if you are not quite certain that the direction is accurate (for instance, if you have just moved into the house):Turn on the furnace blower after tightly tying a string to your finger. Then, move the finger with the string attached close to the filter aperture and observe which way the string flows as a result of the airflow. . . and this is the direction of your airflow. Just be sure to FIRMLY tie the rope to your finger to prevent it from getting sucked into your furnace!
Step 6: Discard the old filter.
Install your new filter in
Step 7 while paying attention to how the air should flow.
Step 8: Emblazon the new filter with the current date (in case you forget when it was changed).
Step 9: Clear the area around your furnace of any dust, dirt, etc.
Step 10: Restart your furnace.
Your understanding of why you should change your air filter, how often to do it, how to find the best filter, and how to do it yourself should have improved as a result of reading this article.
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