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Brooke Kirshne
In the winter season or cold climate regions keeping the indoor environment warm can be a difficult task. But this task can easily be tackled with the help of a furnace. A furnace is a part of an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system which allows individuals to control their indoor temperature. This helps to keep the environment of space warm as a result people who live in cold regions or face harsh winter season weather can have a comfortable indoor space. Furnace not only controls temperature but can also help to improve indoor air quality with the help of a filter.
Over time the furnace filter requires replacement but to do that its users face the problem of locating the filter. Finding the filter inside a furnace can be difficult if furnace users don’t know information like what type of furnace they are using and the location of the filter. In this blog, individuals will get all the information related to the location of the furnace filter, how they can find it in different types of furnaces, and how frequently they should change their furnace filter.
How To Locate A Furnace Filter
The location of a furnace filter can vary due to different models of a furnace. Furnace users need to learn how they can locate their furnace filters. Most of the time the furnace filter is placed inside the blower compartment but people can follow some other tips to find their filter. Here are two main tips that can help the furnace users to find the filter:
Check For A Removable Cover
Most of the furnaces have a removable cover and the filter is placed behind that cover. Usually, the cover is located in front or side of the furnace and it is made of metal or plastic most of the time. The cover can easily be removed by sliding it or by removing screws if the cover is locked. Individuals should be careful while removing the cover.
Read The Furnace’s Manual
Reading the manual of the furnace is one of the best tips that individuals can follow to find their furnace filter. Most of the time the location of the furnace filter is mentioned in the manual. The manual also provides information about how to replace the filter properly. If some individuals have lost the manual then most of the time they can easily find the manual on the furnace’s manufacturer’s website.
Locations Of Filter According To Furnace Types
As mentioned earlier, the location of the filter can vary according to the type of furnace. So it is important that individuals know about their furnace’s type so they can easily find the filter slot. There are mainly 3 types of furnaces, horizontal furnaces, up-flow furnaces, air handlers, and down-flow furnaces. By understanding each type of furnace, people can easily locate the filter. Here are the 3 main types of furnaces and their filter locations:
Horizontal Furnace
A horizontal furnace is a type of furnace that blows hot air into the indoor environment with the help of ductwork in the horizontal direction. Due to its horizontal design, this furnace can effectively control indoor temperature and spread air to every corner of the indoor space. Horizontal furnaces don’t make much noise. In this furnace, the filter is located inside a slide-in rack. This makes replacing the furnace filter very convenient. Furnace users just need to slide the rack and place the new filter.
Up-Flow Furnace
The up-flow furnaces got their name because they blow heated upwards of the furnace. In this type of furnace, the air is consumed from the bottom of the furnace and released from the top. Individuals can identify easily whether they up-flow a furnace or not by checking its location. If the furnace is located in the basement then there is a high possibility that it is an up-flow furnace. In this type of furnace, the filter is placed in the bottom section. The filter slot is located new to the cold air return. To replace the filter, individuals must open the top door of the furnace and then the bottom door.
Down-Flow Furnace
The down-flow furnaces are those types of furnaces that consume air from the top and release the heated air from the bottom. The air moves downward and that's the reason this type of furnace is known as the down-flow furnace. In this furnace, the filter is located in the upper blower compartment of the furnace from where the air is consumed. Furnace users can easily replace their filter from the upper compartment when they need to change the filter.
Types Of Furnace Filters
Furnace filters are available in many different varieties and each of them has a different air filtration ability. Understanding the types will help furnace users to select which filter is best for their heating system. Here are some of the best types of furnace filters:
Fiberglass Filters
Fiberglass filters are one of the most commonly used furnace filters. Their use is very common because of their cost-effectiveness. The fiberglass filters are efficient at capturing large airborne particles of sizes more than 3 to 10 micrometers. These filters are usually made of spun glass or borosilicate glass. One of the main benefits of this filter is it allows proper airflow to the furnace. Due to this, the furnace can easily control indoor environment temperature.
HEPA Filters
The HEPA filters are the most efficient among the types of filters. These filters are very effective at capturing small airborne particles that have a size of less than 0.3 micrometers. These types of furnace filters are great at capturing viruses and bacteria. HEPA filters eliminate almost 99.97% of airborne pollutants. The main issue with these filters is that some furnaces may not support them because of their high airflow resistance (pressure on air while passing through the filter).
Electrostatic Filters
Electrostatic filters are one of the unique furnace filters because they use static electricity to capture airborne pollutants from the indoor environment. These filters come in two varieties, disposable and washable. Disposable filters are made for single use which means after some time they need a new replacement. Washable electrostatic filters are made for repetitive use which means they need a wash once a month for optimal air filtration.
Pleated Filters
Pleated filters are one of the most used furnace filters because of their air filtration efficiency. These filters are effective at capturing small as well as large airborne particles like pollen, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, etc. One of the main benefits of these filters is they provide balanced airflow to the furnace and due to that, individuals can warm and clean their indoor environment.
How Frequently You Should Change Your Furnace Filter
Before locating the furnace filter it is important to know when and how frequently a furnace user should replace the filter. By learning this, individuals can keep their furnace efficiency at an optimal level along with the quality of indoor air will also increase. The replacement time of an air filter depends on its type. Some air filters can stay up to 1 to 3 months and some can 6 to 12 months. There are also filters available that have a lifespan of 1 to 2 years.
Low-cost furnace filters like fiberglass filters have a lifespan of 30 days or sometimes even less and this depends on the condition of the indoor environment. HEPA filters have a lifespan of 6 to 12 months but some high-quality HEPA filters can last up to 1 to 5 years also. Pleated filters can last longer than other disposable furnace filters and have a lifespan of 3 to 6 months even more.
Conclusion
The furnace has become a very important device to control indoor environment temperature during the winter season or for people living in cold climate regions. This unique HVAC unit not just creates a warm indoor environment but also cleans the indoor air with the help of its component known as furnace filter. Locating the furnace filter can be difficult sometimes if its users don’t have proper guidelines. Most of the time the filters are inside a removable cover which is situated side or in the front of the furnace. Reading the manual of the furnace is one of the best things an individual can do.
Most of the time the location of the furnace filter is mentioned in the manufacturer’s manual. The location of the filter also depends on the type of furnace. Each type of furnace has a different filter location. In a horizontal furnace the filter is located inside a slide-in rack and in an up-flow furnace the filter is situated at the bottom of the furnace near the cold air return. Finding a furnace filter can be difficult but don’t worry because Custom Filters Direct provides customized to each customer. For more details of our services contact us today at (877) 556-2862.
