When and How to Change Your Furnace Filter

Maintaining your furnace can go a long way in the time in between furnace service appointments. One of the easiest, and essential, ways to maintain your furnace is in changing your furnace filter. Having a clogged air filter could contribute to a variety of unfavorable issues for your heating and cooling system, its efficiency, and ultimately, how much you’re spending on your energy bills each month.

So what goes in to deciding when you should change your furnace filter?

• Type of filter: the two most common filter sizes are 1 inch and 3 inch filters. 1 inch filters typically need to be replaced every month and 3 inch filters should be swapped out every three months, depending on the recommendations of the filter company.
• Home habits: if you have pets in your home, it may make sense to replace your filter more often due to pet dander. If someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma, contemplate replacing your home’s air filter more frequently to help with their symptoms.

Now you’re likely wondering how to swap out your furnace filter. More than likely, this will differ depending on what furnace you have, but normally: 

• Open or remove the air filter panel near the bottom of your furnace to reveal an open compartment.
• On the top of that open compartment is where you will find your furnace filter resting on two metal supports.
• There will be a little space to move your filter back and forth that allows you to bring down one end of the filter and take it out of the compartment.
• When putting in the new filter, check the perimeter of the filter for an arrow that specifies the air flow direction, to make sure you’re installing the filter in the proper direction. In nearly all cases, the arrow should point towards the main part (or top) of the furnace.