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10.09.2024
Brooke Kirshne
Living in a suitable temperature environment is important for everyone, but in this modern world, climate change is causing temperatures to fluctuate day by day. This fluctuation is decreasing the temperature in some places, and to tackle this problem, a furnace is created. This is part of your HVAC system; for those who don’t know about HVAC, it is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Furnace helps to increase the temperature of your home when the environment is cold. There is also a problem increasing rapidly, which is the poor quality of air. In your home, your furnace helps to improve the air quality also.
You must be thinking now about how it helps to give you clean air. The simple answer is a furnace filter; combining it with your furnace will provide you with heating and air purification simultaneously. The filter has an issue of getting clogged by dirt and dust with time. Now you must be thinking, How will you know when your filter is clogged? What are the signs of a clogged furnace filter? Well, don’t worry, you came to the right place. In this blog you will find all answers to your questions, so read it carefully to the end.
What Is A Furnace Filter?
A furnace filter is a medium between the air and your furnace. When the blower motor (a component of your furnace) collects the air from your house to change its temperature, the filter removes airborne particles like dust, dirt, dander, pollen, etc. from it. This whole process improves indoor air quality. There are several types of furnace filters, and here are some of the best of them:
- HEPA Filters: The name of this filter stands for high-efficiency particulate air filter. It is the most effective filter that cleans the air around 99.97 percent from airborne particles and pathogens. It eliminates particles of size 0.3 microns or less like viruses, bacteria, smoke, etc.
- Pleated Filters: These filters are made by using paper or cloth that is folded in a small series of pleats, that’s why they are called pleated filters. The efficiency of these filters is great due to their ability to capture small particles between 0.3 and 1.0 microns, which include pollen, bacteria, and viruses.
- Polyester Filters: Polyester filters are effective at eliminating around 80% to 95% of airborne pollutants from your home. They capture particles of size 5 microns or more, and these filters are median-sized and made of very high-quality materials.
- Electrostatic Filters: as the name says, these filters use static electricity for their air purification process. These filters come in two types: disposable and washable, and they can capture small particles like pet dander, bacteria, mold spores, etc. These filters are one of the most commonly used filters indoors.
Learn more about what are furnace filters and how they can improve your indoor air quality.
Symptoms Of A Clogged Furnace Filter
Over time, the furnace filter starts clogging due to capturing dirt and debris for a long time that sticks to its surface. This issue can cause many problems to your furnace if it is not fixed. A question must be coming into your mind about how you will know that your filter is clogged. Well, don’t worry; in this section, you will know some of the signs that help to indicate that your filter is clogged, and here they are:
Poor Heating Ability
A dirty furnace will not allow the heated air to pass through it, and it will also not provide a proper supply of air to the furnace to change the temperature of the air. It will happen because small microscopic holes in the filter are clogged with dust and debris, which makes it impossible for the air to pass.
More Energy Consumption
Your furnace requires sufficient airflow to the system so it can meet the needs of its users. A clogged furnace filter restricts the airflow, which makes the unit put pressure on its components to maintain a proper flow of air, which requires a high amount of energy that increases the energy bill. It is wise to always check and compare your present electric bill with the previous one because hope in bills can be an indication of a clogged filter.
Disrupted on/off Cycles
A furnace has an automatic feature known as an on/off cycle, and this feature turns off the furnace when the user’s desired room temperature is met. The heat is built into a component called the heat exchanger. A clogged filter causes heat to touch the limit inside the heat exchanger, which makes the furnace shut down unnecessarily.
Increased Air Pollution
When the furnace filter is clogged, then the airborne particles like dust, debris, pollen, etc. thrown back into your house because of the ability of filtration are gone. Your furnace can’t circulate the air properly in your home, which increases the amount of pollutants in the air and decreases indoor air quality.
Smell Of Burning
Individuals who use furnaces less frequently can notice a smell of burning sometimes, but if you notice this smell too often, that can be a sign of having a clogged furnace filter. Your furnace starts overheating when it is used for too long, and to stop this proper airflow is required. A clogged furnace filter restricts airflow; as a result, overheating isn’t controlled and a burning smell is created.
Allergic Symptoms
People who are allergic to poor air quality or have a respiratory issue like asthma will get symptoms when the furnace filter is clogged. A dirty air filter will not remove the contaminants like pollen that can cause allergies. So if you notice consistent symptoms of your medical issue, it can be a sign that your filter is clogged.
White Sheet Test Fails
The white sheet test is a way to find out whether your filter is removing contaminants from the air or not. To do this test, you must hang a white sheet near your heating vents; the air blows out of the vent, and if the air is not clean, then the sheet will become dark in color like brown, gray, or black, and ensure that you need a new furnace filter.
Benefits Of Furnace Filter
As you understand by reading the above sections, a furnace filter improves air quality in your house. Many other benefits are given by using a furnace filter, which helps the furnace and your pocket. Here are the top four benefits of having a furnace filter:
Increase Energy Efficiency
A furnace filter not only helps to improve air quality but energy efficiency also. When the furnace collects the air from your home filter, make sure that dust and dirt don’t get inside, which makes the system work properly without any use of extra energy that prevents any unnecessary increase in electricity bills.
Prevent Unnecessary Repairs
The components of your furnace are delicate and vulnerable to any disruptions of air filled with contaminants. The filter captures all of the airborne particles, like mold spores, which are very harmful to the system, and prevents the issue of any unnecessary damage that you have to repair.
Improves Temperature Control
A proper supply of clean air is important for your furnace because it helps your system to work efficiently, which makes it control the temperature of your room according to your needs. A filter provides clean air by eliminating large particles like dirt that can disrupt the supply of air. As a result, you get your desired room temperature.
Increases Furnace’s Lifespan
One of the major benefits of a furnace filter is that it can increase the life of your furnace. Eliminating contaminants from the air provides a proper supply of air that doesn’t disrupt the parts of your furnace, and it runs smoothly and without any issues. As a result, the life of the furnace increases. This postponed the time of spending your money on a new furnace.
Things To Consider Before Buying A Furnace Filter
So now you know about the furnace filters, their types, and signs of an old and clogged filter. If you are a regular user of a furnace then you may already know that there are some things that you need to consider before investing in a furnace filter. For those who don't, here are some key considerations for choosing a filter for your furnace:
Size And Thickness
Every furnace is different, so the requirements of their filter size and thickness will also be different. Normally furnace filters are available in sizes of 16” x 20”, 20” x 25”, and 16” x 25", but they are also available in other different sizes. The thickness of a filter can lie between 1 inch and 5 inches. To check the required size of the filter, you can check the manual of your furnace. Remember, if you don’t buy a filter that doesn’t fit properly to the furnace, it will not provide air filtration properly.
MERV Ratings
For those individuals who don’t know, MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value. This rating is created to identify the effectiveness of air filtration in a filter. Rating ranges between 1 and 20, but people who want a filter for residential use should look for filters that have ratings between 1 and 16. Higher ratings show more efficiency in removing small particles.
Material
Furnace filters are made from different varieties of materials, like fiberglass, polyester, or cotton. Filters that are made from polyester have effective filtration ability against small particles because polyester is a dense material. Remember, the denser the material, the more efficient the filter becomes.
Medical Requirements
People who have medical conditions like pollen allergy or respiratory issues like asthma should consider whether the furnace filter they are going to invest in is capable of removing allergens or not. Many filters are available on the market that are specially designed to tackle microscopic particles in your home.
Budget
Budget is one of the most crucial things that you need to consider before buying a filter. It will be wise not to look for cheap furnace filters because they will not do the work properly, and you’ll need to replace them more often. It is best to invest in a filter that has a moderate price and good filtration, like electrostatic filters.
How To Change A Furnace Filter
You can change your furnace filter by yourself, and it is quite an easy task. Changing your filter from time to time is very important because it can get clogged, and as you can understand by reading the above section, a clogged filter can create many complications for you and your furnace. So here are the steps for replacing your furnace filter:
Step 1: Turn Off The Furnace: It is a very important thing to do before changing your filter for safety purposes, and to do this, set your furnace’s thermostat (furnace controlling device) to off.
Step 2: Open The Door Panel: You can see a door on your furnace that can easily be opened or slid off, and after this, you will have access to the interior of your furnace.
Step 3: Locate The Filter: Look at the return air duct or blower chamber’s entrance for the filter, and sometimes there is a cover over the filter that you must remove.
Step 4: Remove And Replace The Filter: Carefully remove the old filter because it can spread dust and debris to your home. After this, bring the new filter and place it inside the cabinet where the previous filter was, and make sure that it is placed in the proper position.
Step 5: Turn On The Furnace: When you are sure that the filter is placed properly inside the furnace, close the door and set the thermostat to the on position, and your job is done.
For a detailed guide, click here to learn how to change your furnace filter.
Conclusion
A furnace helps you to provide a room temperature that is suitable for when the environment is cold. This part of the HVAC system also makes the air in your house clean of impurities with the help of a furnace filter. A simple problem with the filter is that it needs to be replaced regularly; otherwise, it will get clogged, and this will impact the furnace and the environment of your house by increasing impurities in the air and making the furnace work harder. You can identify whether your filter is clogged or not by noticing some signs like high energy bills, poor air quality, unnecessary repairments, etc.
There are many options available on the market for buying a new furnace filter, and you can consider some factors before buying them, like budget, MERV ratings, size and thickness of the filter, etc. So are you wondering where you will find a perfect filter that suits you and your furnace? How will you find a perfect-size furnace filter? If these questions are haunting you, then you are saved today because here at Custom Filters Direct, you’ll find the best-customized filters with MERV ratings of 8, 11, and 13. So don’t wait; contact us at (877) 812-7983 and change your old furnace filter today.
