Whenever people think of furnace maintenance, the focus is always on bigger issues such as cracks that might be present on the heat exchanger, and mechanical problems that may have something to do with the cleaning sensors. As a result, nobody really gives a deeper thought to little maintenance practices such as clearing the filters.
There are a number of reasons you should always take very good care of your furnace filters. It may sound like a simple component of the furnace, but a vital one that ought to be considered with a lot of seriousness. Here is a brief look at some of the reasons why you need to take very good care of your furnace filters.
Clean filters improve air quality
One of the major reasons why you should be cleaning your furnace filters regularly is to improve indoor air quality. Clogged filters usually feature all manner of debris, dirt, and dust particles that not only decrease the airflow to the rest of the home but also pollute the indoor air.
With a clean filter, the rate of circulation through the duct will not only increase, but also will ensure that only clean and fresh air passes through. This is because a clean filter is not already clogged with dust, dust, and other particles, which in turn makes it very effective in purifying the air that ends up in the living spaces of the home.
Clean filters extend the lifespan of the furnace
Buying and installing a furnace is never a cheap affair. As a relatively expensive venture, you should take all the necessary precautions to ensure that it serves you efficiently and for longer. A clogged filter in the furnace will put a lot of strain on the operation of the furnace because a lot of effort will be needed to push through the air through the dirt and the debris that may be blocking the filters.
This extra strain on the operations is likely to take a toll on the furnace over time, and the result will be that you will start to experience frequent breakdowns, which will ultimately impact the overall longevity of the furnace. This simply implies that one way of extending the lifespan of the furnace is to ensure that all the filters are cleaned regularly to leave no room for extra strain on the operations of the unit.
It will save you money on the utility bills
A clogged filter will force your furnace to work extra hard. This additional hard work means that more energy will be required to make the furnace work optimally. The ultimate consequence of this is that you will have to spend more money on utility bills to cover up for the increased energy required to operate the furnace with clogged filters.
Therefore, an easy way of ensuring that your utility bills remain on the check is to simply ensure that your furnace is not operating on clogged filters.
It helps to reduce the instances of furnace service calls
Though sometimes necessary, no one wants to be calling furnace repair technicians all the time. The general expectation is that after conducting the annual inspection on your unit, you should have the furnace server you smoothly and for longer. However, it is sad to observe that most people who usually end up calling for furnace repair services normally do so because of a clogged filter. By simply maintaining the filters in a clean state, you wouldn’t have to make such calls.
Also, as noted earlier, a clogged filter will put a lot of strain on the operations of the furnace. This may lead to a myriad of problems, some mechanical in nature that may require the intervention of furnace technicians. This simply means that a dirty filter may lead to serious furnace problems that might cost you lots of money in repairs and maintenance. However, all these could be avoided if only you took the time and cleaned the filters so that the furnace can operate smoothly and efficiently.
Improves the safety of the home
As already noted earlier, dirty filters have a way of putting extra pressure on the operations of the furnace. One of the effects of this excess pressure in the operations of the unit is that cracks may develop on the heat exchanger prematurely.
When this happens, there are very high chances of deadly carbon monoxide gas being released into the indoor environment, hence, risking the health and the lives of the occupants of the premises. In addition to the risks of inhaling the gas, the cracks developed on the heat exchanger can lead to very expensive repairs.
In some instances and depending on the severity of the cracks, the only option would be to replace the entire unit. But all these can be avoided by always ensuring that the filters are clean – it will greatly improve the safety of your home.
How often should the furnace filters be cleaned?
Now that you understand the importance of operating your furnace on clean filters, it is also vital that you know how when to be cleaning the furnace vent filters. Well, there is no definite answer as to the specific frequency that one should clean their furnace filters.
This is because furnaces vary in size and the regularity of use also varies from one family to another. However, you have to be very consistent when it comes to cleaning the furnace filters. Normally, it is recommended that you should change the filters once every two months during the heating season.
If you have installed washable filters, then they should be cleaned after every few weeks, and they should be replaced between three and five months after installation. If, however, you have smokers, pets, or people who suffer from allergies at home, then you should increase the frequency of cleaning the furnace vent filters.