Have you found yourself wondering why your furnace needs a filter? Or how necessary is it to change your furnace filter at the beginning of each winter season? Well, it turns out it's pretty necessary. A clean furnace filter helps protect various elements of your furnace. In addition, it helps improve indoor air quality over the winter. This can be very important, especially with the house being closed up during the coldest months of the year. If a clogged filter is left in place, it can cause airborne pollutants to remain in the air causing allergic reactions or respiratory issues.

Furnace filters collect dust, hair, and other debris that often clog up critical components needed to keep your heating system working efficiently. In contrast, a dirty furnace filter will restrict the furnace's airflow. This goes against the furnace's intended design to allow maximum airflow. So, if you're still wondering, yes, your furnace does need a filter, and it needs to be replaced regularly to keep it running effectively.

How to Choose a Furnace Filter?

Furnace filters vary in size, quality, efficiency, and even filtering processes. Additionally, the level of dust entrapment and airflow can differ from one filter to another. Most furnace filters are generally measured via the industry standard known as MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) created by ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers).

It's important to note, however, that a higher MERV rating is not always an indicator of the best filter. Sometimes if you install a filter with too high of a rating, despite it being more efficient at trapping airborne contaminates, it can also greatly hinder airflow. This decreased airflow can, in turn, harm your HVAC system.

When to Change Your Furnace Filter & How Often?

Once a furnace filter becomes dirty, it begins to block airflow making your furnace work harder and potentially costing you more money in energy costs. This is another reason why it's so important to change your filter before it starts to hamper airflow. We suggest checking your filter every month during the winter months and replacing it if necessary. Without a doubt, it should be replaced at a minimum of every three months. The type of furnace filter you buy could indicate how long it's likely to last before a new one is necessary. With that said, several other factors can affect the frequency or rate your furnace filter needs to be replaced.

Top Nine Reasons Your Furnace Filter May Need Replacing –

1.) Healthier Air Quality – The main role of any air filter is to capture unwanted airborne contaminates. Furnace and HVAC filters are no exception and can be particularly efficient at doing just that. However, once they become clogged, they can end up creating an unhealthy air environment throughout your home. This can be particularly problematic for allergy sufferers because a clogged furnace filter can often result in aggravated allergies for many individuals. Once a filter has reached its capacity for cleaning, dust, dirt, and debris can become dislodged and make its way into the air causing allergic reactions and respiratory issues.

2.) Harsh Winters – In some areas of the United States, winter can seem like more than just a passing season. The coldest months of the year can extend anywhere from the beginning of October to mid-March or even the beginning of April. These extended cold weather conditions can leave your furnace working overtime. As a result, checking on your furnace and its filters more often during these times is highly recommended.

3.) Pets – It's no secret we enjoy having our furry friends with us at all times. However, when it comes to living with them in our homes, their fur tends to find its way into every nook and cranny. This can be the case for the ductwork of furnaces as well. Pet dander and fur can accumulate significantly here, so if you own a dog, cat, or another animal that tends to shed a lot of hair and dander, chances are high that you'll need to change your filter that much sooner.

4.) Moving Into a New Home – Whether or not it's a brand-new home or a home new to you, it may be a good idea to check out the furnace and change out its filter. Even newly built homes can have a dirty furnace filter due to construction and drywall dust. You could also take things a step further by having the furnace and the ducting cleaned and sanitized if it is an older, previously-owned home.

5.) Extend Furnace/HVAC Life – If you're a new homeowner, it may come as quite a shock how expensive replacing an entire furnace, or HVAC system can be. But that may be required if the system was poorly maintained and its filters were never changed regularly. Dirty and neglected systems are the most common cause of breakdowns. This is why it's so important to make sure you're helping your furnace and HVAC last as long as possible by regularly replacing its air filter.

6.) Keep Energy Costs Down – Opening up the energy bill each month is certainly no picnic. But you can make it much less stressful by replacing your furnace filter in accordance with expert recommendations. As we've discussed early, a clogged filter causes your system to overwork resulting in higher energy costs which in turn increases your bottom line. In particular, the average home spends nearly 2,200$ a year on energy costs, according to the department of energy. By simply changing your filter more regularly, you can save anywhere from 5% to 15% on your energy bill!

7.) Decrease Dangerous Situations – Although rare, a clogged furnace filter can sometimes lead to serious consequences. Dirty furnace filters force the furnace motor to overwork itself and eventually lead to overheating. They can also cause something called short cycling, which can lead to your furnace turning off prematurely. This can be a major problem if it happens during the winter months. Lastly, an overextended heating unit could start a fire if a clogged and dirty filter is sucked back into the system. As a result, it will compromise airflow and could lead to a dangerous fire inside the furnace.

8.) Increased Temperature Regulation – Most furnaces are used to heat homes during the coldest months of the year. However, if a furnace filter is clogged, this will prevent them from heating the home as efficiently as possible. In fact, a used filter can create strain on the entire system itself, resulting in less heat traveling throughout the home. If you want to increase your home's temperature regulation and create efficient heating throughout your home, keeping your furnace and its filters maintained is a necessary step.

9.) Eliminate Stagnant Air – When furnace and HVAC systems are clogged, it can leave air sitting in your home, causing it to go stagnant. If air isn't consistently moving, it can allow odor-causing particles like dust, moisture, and other pollutants to build inside your home's air and ductwork. When a furnace is working properly, it sends a continuous flow of fresh warm air throughout your home. Once the furnace clogs and airflow is reduced or stopped altogether, your home's air will become dirtier than normal, possibly leading to potential health effects like allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues.