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Many homeowners don’t know a lot about their HVAC system,聽including聽where key equipment like the furnace is located. If you don’t know where the furnace is, you can’t聽complete聽routine聽furnace maintenance聽tasks like聽inspecting聽the furnace air filter. This and other simple chores can聽enhance聽your furnace’s energy efficiency. It’ll also help聽lower聽the risk of damage or a malfunction.

Where Is聽My聽Furnace?

Most furnaces are聽installed聽in the center of your home, either in a special utility closet or聽downstairs聽in the basement. If your home doesn’t have a basement, it聽might聽also be in a crawl space or the attic. You may find other equipment like the water heater or your washing machine聽close by.

Once you’ve found where your furnace is, the next step is to聽locate聽the furnace filter.

Where Is My Furnace Filter Located?

You’ll聽most often聽find the air filter聽within聽the blower compartment, which is accessible through a metal door or hatch on the聽lower聽half of the furnace. It聽could聽also be in a sliding compartment聽by聽the air handler component of your furnace or on a rack聽placed聽on the furnace’s side. It will be located聽in a place聽where it can聽collect聽dust, pollen and other airborne particles as they聽pass聽through your HVAC system.

Over time, the furnace filter聽collects聽more and more particles. At a certain point it will聽reduce聽airflow and聽can聽reduce聽your home’s indoor air quality as well as your HVAC system’s聽overall聽efficiency. By聽consistently聽cleaning or replacing the filter, you’ll keep everything working more effectively.

How Do I Change the Air Filter in My Furnace?

Fortunately, you don’t need聽years聽of HVAC experience to know聽how to change a furnace filter. In fact, it’s one of the聽easiest聽tasks you can do to help聽draw out聽the best performance from your HVAC system. Here are聽some聽things to keep in mind before you聽start:

• Make sure you check the filter’s size so the replacement air filter matches.
• Switch聽the furnace’s power off before you access the air filter.
• Slowly pull the filter out so the housing isn’t damaged or knocked out of place.

• Finally,聽check聽the new filter for an arrow聽indicating聽how the filter should be oriented before installing it into your furnace.

Should I聽Change聽My Furnace Filter Every Month?

Ultimately, knowing聽how often to change your furnace filter聽depends on several things. Start with the model of the filter itself, as more efficient filters聽should聽last longer. You’ll also want to聽review聽your indoor air quality needs, the size of your family and number of pets as well as local pollution levels.

Basic聽filters suggest replacement every 1-2 months, or as short as 20-45 days each if you have聽several聽pets and someone in the house has allergies.

Does It Matter What Furnace Filter You Use?

The quality of your furnace filter聽might聽have a聽big聽impact on your HVAC system’s overall efficiency as well as your home’s indoor air quality. The聽ideal聽way to聽check聽the quality of your furnace filter is its聽MERV rating. This stands for the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, and聽demonstrates聽the filter’s effectiveness at reducing the number of airborne particles in your home.

The聽higher聽the MERV rating, the better the filter will be. Ratings can be on a scale of 1-20, but this doesn’t mean you聽should try to聽find a furnace filter with a 20 MERV rating. In fact,聽many聽filters with ratings above 13 are often designed for hospitals or other buildings that聽need聽the safest, most hygienic conditions possible.

What Happens if I聽Neglect聽to Change My Furnace Filter?

Forgetting聽to聽change聽your furnace filter isn’t the end of the world, but it can聽negatively affect聽how effective your HVAC system is. Furnaces聽count on聽unobstructed airflow for efficient heating, and a聽dirty聽filter can slow that down. The longer you go without replacing it, however, the more likely problems can聽crop up聽that will require聽furnace repair. Here are a few of the most common:

• The furnace overheats:聽Without聽proper聽airflow, the temperature in your furnace can聽gradually聽increase. Safety components should shut off the furnace when it聽detects聽overheating, but this聽may聽keep happening until the filter is replaced.
• Your HVAC system starts short cycling:聽Short cycling is when your equipment starts and stops聽constantly. This聽creates聽more wear and tear, which shortens your system’s life span.
• The air conditioner’s cooling coil freezes:聽The air conditioner also needs steady airflow. Without it, the refrigerant coils聽may聽get too cold and freeze over.
• Your HVAC system stops working:聽When your HVAC system runs too long without聽proper聽airflow, it could lead to a piece of equipment failing entirely.

Is No Air Filter Better Than a Dirty One?

Definitely not! Your furnace filter is still a聽beneficial聽component for getting the most out of your HVAC system. You should always have a filter in place, even if you forget to replace it聽every now and then. A聽trustworthy聽service company like聽天美传媒聽can help you keep up with routine furnace maintenance in聽Austin聽including replacing the air filter.