Monday, July 20, 2009

How to Maintain Your Furnace Filter

By Howard W. Kingsbridge

Are you avoiding the inevitable need to change your furnace filter? Is it one of those tedious tasks that you feel you wish not to undertake because you are no master of mechanical ability? Well, you can stop worrying and change your furnace filter in a matter of a few minutes, and in just 3 simple and easy to follow steps. You might think that changing your furnace filter is more of hassle than it is worth, but in reality, your heater's filter is a very important piece of household property. A properly cleaned furnace filter can not only protect the respiratory health of your family by filtering harmful and agitating substances out of the air, but it can also help your furnace to run more efficiently due to an open airflow, not only saving you money, but also reducing the risk of a home fire as a result of a clogged filter.

Make checking your furnace air filter a part of your monthly routine. Many people still utilise disposable filters despite the fact reusable ones have many benefits over the older variety. They're far cheaper, are easy toreplace and clean, can be reused, will save you a great deal of money over their lifetime, plus as an added benefit they're far greener and have less impact on our environment.

The reusable, non disposable varieties are way cheaper and surprisingly easy to maintain. Plus, over the course of its lifetime, a single reusable furnace filter will save you a great deal of money.

Number one - cut the juice! Never work on any electronic or gas powered appliance without first disconnecting the power and fuel sources. You don't want your first furnace filter maintenance job to be your last.

1 - First of all, and by far the most safety critical step is to switch the gas or electricity supply off. The last thing you want is a nasty shock. 2 - Next you need to locate the furnace filters service panel. It's possible the door is locked with a special key so you should dig out the instructions manual to check the tools you'll need. 3 - Take a look inside and find the spongy panel, this is the filter. Take it out of the unit and hold it up to a light to see if you can see through it. A light source passing through is a good indication that the filter is in good condition and doesn't require heavy cleaning. Shake it off and reinsert it in the exact same position you found it in. If it is clogged up it's going to need a good clean through so take it out in the garden and hose it down to clear out all the dust and debris. Getting rid of all the blockages is really important.

If you replace the old filter with a new one make sure to reinsert the exact same filter. If you're reinserting the old one that you cleaned through you must ensure its dried right through. If you place a wet filter in the furnace it'll attract more dust and dirt and require changing again in a fraction of the usual time.

That's all there is to it. 3 simple steps, ten minutes tops. Relax and enjoy the warmth. - 22787

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1 comment:

  1. The most important thing to remember about these benefits is that they only work with regular filter changes. So be sure to change your furnace filter in the recommended time frame. A basic fiberglass furnace filter should be changed about every 30 days, while a pleated furnace filter lasts longer and should be changed about every 90 days.

    Replacement Furnace Filters

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