As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to keep up with routine maintenance on your property. This includes removing leaves from your gutter system, adding caulking or weatherstripping around your window and door frames to prevent air loss, having your chimney inspected and cleaned annually, and a variety of other tasks many people tend to cringe or get frustrated at the thought of.

When it comes to these home maintenance responsibilities, be sure you’re also changing your furnace filter regularly. If you aren’t sure the last time it was that you replaced the old filter out with a new one, you’re probably not keeping up with maintenance like you should be when it comes to your heating and cooling systems.

Why is it important to change my furnace filter?

The main role of your filter is to prevent a variety of airborne particles from getting into your heating and cooling system, and into the air your family breathes. These particles include things such as pollen, pet hair, dust mites, vehicle emissions, mold spores, and tobacco smoke.

These particles don’t just create problems for your home’s indoor air quality, but they can also restrict air flow to your system when the filter gets clogged and dirty. Without proper air flow, your system can suffer premature wear and tear to its vital components. This can lead to expensive repairs, a complete breakdown, and/or expensive energy bills each month. A system with restricted airflow has to work harder than necessary to heat or cool your family’s home. In turn, this can lead to very costly bills.

Another problem associated with a dirty furnace filter is poor indoor air quality. If you have individuals in your home who have asthma or other respiratory problems, these airborne pollutants could worsen their symptoms and lead to a variety of other unwanted medical issues.

How often should I change my furnace filter?

This depends on a variety of factors, including whether you have pets or smokers in your home, and the MERV rating of the filter you use. If you have pets in your home, their hair can quickly clog a filter and lead to air flow restrictions. Additionally, tobacco smoke in the home can cause the filter to get dirty much quicker than usual.

When it comes to the MERV-rating of your filter, the higher the rating the more pollutants it’s able to catch, but also the more it restricts airflow. A low MERV-rating indicates that your filter is letting more particles get through.

If you aren’t sure how often to change the filter you have, be sure to check your system’s owner’s manual for more information.

Prevent home comfort issues for your family

Now you know how important it is to replace your furnace filter on a regular basis. Not only will it help prevent an untimely breakdown of your furnace or air conditioner that could leave your family suffering in an uncomfortable home, but it can also lessen the severity of the symptoms of individuals in your home who may suffer from respiratory problems.

Additional heating and cooling maintenance advice

It’s also important to schedule annual tune-up appointments for your furnace and air conditioner. At Oncourse Home Solutions, we offer affordable Heating Maintenance and Cooling Maintenance plans to help you. Preventative maintenance may help to extend the usable life of your system and prevent indoor air quality issues.