With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be difficult to remember to take care of things like your furnace filter. However, dirty furnace filters can wreak havoc not only on the furnace itself but on you and your family too! Furnace filters trap dust, debris, any ash particles, etc before the warm (or cold if you have central air/heating) air is pushed throughout your home. Once that filter gets dirty or plugged, not only does it make your furnace work harder to push that air through your ducts and into your rooms causing more energy to be used for the furnace to run, but it also can’t filter out the microscopic allergens and particles from the furnace and pushes dirty air into your home for you to breathe! This can also cause your air ducts to fill up with dirt and dust particles. (Air duct cleanings are usually not cheap!) The scariest part of a dirty furnace filter is the risk of fire – a dirty furnace filter restricts and redirects air flow, which can overheat other components in your furnace and can eventually ignite debris trapped in the furnace.

Each furnace has a specific sized filter, and they are relatively easy to change yourself – most have the size printed right on the side of the filter itself, and you can take that to the hardware store and find the correct sized filter. If you do not feel comfortable changing the filter on your own, there are many experienced contractors who are willing to help!

Show your furnace and your family some love and change your furnace filter every 90 days to ensure your furnace is operating efficiently, that your family is breathing in cleaner air, and to help prevent the risk of fire!