How Often Should I Change My Furnace Filter?

Your furnace filter is an important part of your HVAC system. Its job is to catch dirt, dust, and debris so that it wont get into your motors and interior parts of your furnace causing issues. If you don’t change your filter you risk having it clogged which will restrict air flow to your furnace and make it malfunction. It will also allow dirt and debris to get into your furnace and also cause issues. We get service calls very often where the only issue ends up being a clogged filter so you pay a service call to have someone change your filter. Your furnace should be changed every 30 days. Your furnace will accumulate a lot of particulates that build up over time such as dead skin cells and dust. Even if your home is clean the particulates are still in the air and will build up on your filter. You also want to make sure you are using a thin filter versus a thick one. The thinner ones allow for more air flow. The thicker ones will restrict airflow and possibly cause issues especially if you forget to change the filter. The filters have MERV ratings on how much they will attract and hold. The higher the number the more it catches and holds. You don’t want to get too high a MERV number because it might restrict airflow for your furnace. You also have the option of washable filters. Washable filters are environmentally friendly since they are reused but they are also slightly more expensive. Changing your filter is easy and should be done monthly. You can even change it more often if you have pets and smokers in the home. Just make sure you check the filter often. Try setting a reminder in your phone so you remember each month. Bartlett Heating and Air can help you with all your HVAC needs so call us today!