Why Routine Filter Changes Are Important To Furnace Efficiency

When your furnace’s filters are clogged and dirty, it has to work much harder to do its job. Dirty filters decrease your furnace’s efficiency and shorten the overall life of the equipment. Routine filter changes ensure both efficiency and longer system life, while reducing irritating allergens in your home’s air.

Filters work by collecting dirt and debris from the air, and preventing it from entering the furnace and your home’s air. When filters become dirty and clogged, air can’t flow as freely. This makes your furnace work much harder, using more energy and increasing your bills, and shortening its life span.

If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or other respiratory problems, it’s especially important to change your furnace filter regularly. Dirty filters can’t capture allergens and irritants such as mold, pet dander, pollen and dust, exacerbating indoor allergies, because the pollutants will bypass the filter and circulate through the air in your home.

To keep your bills down and ensure good indoor air quality, change your filter once per month when the furnace is working hardest—in Johnson County, that’s during the winter when temperatures plummet. The rest of the year, change the filter at least once every three months.

Additionally, you may want to try a more efficient furnace filter, designed to catch smaller particles that standard filters miss. When comparing filters, look for a micro-particle rating (MPR) or Minimum Efficiency Report Value (MERV); the higher the numbers, the more particles the filter can catch. But higher-efficiency filters can also restrict airflow, so check the manufacturer's guide for your heating system before selecting a filter.

Keeping your filter fresh and clean is one of the best ways to ensure furnace efficiency. If you have questions about furnaces, filters or other home heating and cooling issues in the Kansas City area, contact Santa Fe Air Conditioning & Heating.