If you have noticed that your heat isn’t as warm as it should be, then you may want to check your furnace filter. A clogged furnace filter can cause the temperature in your home to feel cooler than it should and can also affect the overall efficiency of your heating system. A clogged furnace filter will also result in additional strain on your heating system because it will have to work harder to heat up your home. If you notice that the temperature in your home has decreased and would like to find out why to start by checking your furnace filter to see if it is clean or dirty.
The working process of the furnace and its filters
Firstly, we have to know how the furnace work. It is better for us to know why the furnace filter is clogged?
A furnace includes many parts such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. They're used to circulate the air in a house and regulate the temperature with a heat exchanger to make the rooms more comfortable and warmer. In the furnace, there are fans that direct the heated air into the air ducts so that it can be distributed throughout the house before returning to the furnace.
Once the temperature is reached, the furnace shuts down until it needs to be restarted.
As the furnace draws in, heats, and circulates the air, it must also remove dirt, allergens, and pollutants. As the air enters the system through the blower, it also passes through the air filter. The pollutants are caught by the screen before they enter the furnace and then flow through your home, improving air quality and also protecting your fans from damage.
Care about the symptoms of a dirty air filter
Whether should you change your air filter? You can check it, you can see the grey or black on the filter, or some pollutants on it, it is time for you to replace it, but you will see other symptoms that you’ve never known.
There are five common symptoms shown to you.
The increasing air pollution indoor
When the filter is clogged, it can't work effectively and a lot more dust, allergens and pollutants flow into the air, affecting the air quality in your home and harming your family's health.
Turn on/off cycles
If the dirt remains in the furnace, then there's excessive heat in the heat exchanger. When the temperature reaches a certain point, the furnace automatically shuts down and stops giving off heat, causing the burners to turn off and everything to get cold, and it automatically turns back on once the furnace has cooled down.
If the poor air circulation is caused by a dirty HVAC system, the furnace will turn on and off frequently.
The increasing energy consumption
Even if it looks like you don't use the furnace often, the energy bills are going up. The main reason is the dirty filter: when the filter is clogged, the fans have to work harder because the air can't flow as well.
The damage to the furnace
The dirt filters are susceptible to damage, and even if the device fails, the clogged filter has a shorter life than the normal filter.
The heat exchanger is affected by the dirty air filter, the clogged filter reduces the airflow that passes through the furnace, the heat exchanger has insufficient fresh air, the pressure switches and fans are easily damaged, and the furnace is difficult to turn on.
Poor heating
You will feel uncomfortable if the air filters are filled with dirt, and it is hard for homes or enterprises to keep the temperature if you use the polluted air filters all the time. This is why the furnace can’t work effectively and reduce the fan’s ability to circulate the heated air.
The methods to prevent the symptoms of a dirty furnace filter
For lower energy bills, better air quality, and improved well-being, replace your furnace's air filter as soon as possible.
If you notice signs of contamination, you should check your air filter quickly. Replace it when there's obvious contamination.
If you're planning to change your air filters, there are a few factors to consider: First, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. The lifespan of most HVAC air filters ranges from 30 days to half a year and depends on the dimensions, the rating on MERV, and the frequency of your use. If you're a pet or smoker in your home, you should clean them regularly.
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