As Calgary furnace experts we know, a furnace is an important part of maintaining the desired temperature in our homes.
Your furnace is used to heat the house and make it more comfortable. But what you may not realize is that this machine can also affect the air quality in your house.
The air filter, which sits right in front of the furnace blower, has a very important job. It filters out dust and other particles from the air so they don’t get blown into your home. If you have allergies or other respiratory problems, this can be really helpful to your health.
But if you don’t change the filter regularly, it can get clogged up with dust and dirt and not do its job as well. When this happens, it will start letting more particles into your home’s air – which isn’t good for anyone!
The benefits of changing furnace filters
In this article, we will cover some of the benefits that you can enjoy by regularly changing the air filter in your furnace.
Improved efficiency
When you replace that old and dirty filter, the new filter will improve your furnace’s efficiency.
Your furnace not longer has to contend with any dirt or debris that may have accumulated on the old filter, which means your furnace no longer needs to work as hard to perform properly.
Save money on the energy bill
With better efficiency from you changing your furnace filter, comes the ability to save money on your energy bill.
If your furnace is not having to work overtime due to a dirty old air filter, this consumes less energy and will therefore cost you less money!
Improved lifespan and less chance of a breakdown
If you fail to change your furnace filter, then your furnace is under more strain to perform optimally.
In addition to this, the more stress that you place on the operation of your furnace, the more likely it is, that it will breakdown or have a shorter lifespan
Better air quality
A dirty furnace air filter can cause a number of health problems including asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses.
If the filter is too clogged with dust or pet hair it can restrict airflow to the furnace and cause it to shut down or operate less efficiently.
Changing out the air filter is an easy way to prevent all of these problems.
How often should you change your furnace air filter?
There are many factors that need to be considered to give the best advice on the frequency to which you should be replacing the air filter on your furnace.
Our rough rule of thumb is that you should change your air filter at least once every 3 months
The air filter on the furnace needs to be changed more often if you have a pet in the house. Pets shed hair and dander, which can get on your furnace filter and clog it.
It is also important to change your furnace filter more regularly if you use your fireplace or wood stove frequently along with having any smokers in the home.
Finally, if you run your fan the majority of the time, then we would suggest replacing the air filter more often than not!
Changing your air filter isn’t the only maintenance for your furnace
As you can see, we strongly implore you to change your furnace air filter several times throughout the year, the benefits are great and it’s an easy task that can be performed in seconds.
You should however also partake in getting your furnace fully serviced by a professional HVAC expert once a year.
Here at Instant Plumbing & Heating, we are available all year round for your furnace service needs in Calgary and the surrounding areas.
Do not hesitate to call us if you need assistance with your furnace.
