The Ins and Outs of Your Furnace Air Filter
Your furnace air filter is an inexpensive yet integral piece of your HVAC system. It helps prevent a variety of pollutants from circulating through your home—and can even help your furnace run smoothly. But how exactly do they work? What should you look for in an air filter? The pros at ComfortAire Heating Cooling break it all down below. Call us at 715-325-3969 in Wisconsin Rapids or 715-342-0911 in Stevens Point.
How Do Furnace Air Filters Work?
Air filters are designed to catch dust, debris, and other particles before they circulate through your home, pollute your air, and affect your indoor air quality. It’s installed as part of your furnace so that as your system forces out hot air, it first flows through the filter to get rid of airborne contaminants. From there, the clean air travels through your ducts, out your registers or vents, and into your rooms.
What Are Furnace Air Filters Made Of?
Air filters are made of polyester, cotton, fiberglass, or a unique combination of all three. Fiberglass air filters are less expensive but more porous and have to be replaced more often. Pleated air filters are more flexible, have a greater surface area, trap more pollutants, and don’t have to be changed as much as fiberglass filters.
What Kind of Furnace Air Filter Should I Get?
One of the most important things to look at when deciding which filter to get is finding the correct size. Find the dimensions of your current one, then get that same size from your local hardware store. Be sure to follow your manufacturer’s guidelines for sizing or contact the ComfortAire experts if you need a professional opinion.
You should also pay attention to the MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, rating of your air filter. The higher the rating, the more indoor pollutants the filter will catch. If you have pets or someone in your home has allergy or respiratory concerns, your best bet is to choose a filter with a higher MERV. Have questions? No sweat—call ComfortAire for help.
When Do I Need to Change My Furnace Air Filter?
If you have a standard one-inch filter, replace it once every one to three months, or more often if you have pets or smokers in the house. High-efficiency filters can be changed less often—swap them out once every six to 12 months for best air quality. During your annual Clean & Check, we’ll be sure to inspect and replace your air filter if necessary.
Contact ComfortAire for All Your Air Filter Questions
Have more questions about your furnace air filter? As a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer, ComfortAire is here to answer them all. We’ll truly do whatever it takes to enhance your home comfort, so call us today at 715-325-3969 in Wisconsin Rapids or 715-342-0911 in Stevens Point.
