Changing your furnace filter is a pretty easy job to do on your own, so it shouldn’t be something that you have to hire a pro to help you with. However, even though furnace filters are cheap and even though changing them is easy, a lot of people forget or put off changing them. Many homeowners do not even realize that they aren’t changing their furnace filters often enough, which can result in the need for furnace repair or can cause other problems. These are a few signs that you should be changing your furnace filter more often.
1. You Smoke in the House
You probably don’t need anyone to tell you that smoking is bad for your health. However, if you don’t want to quit smoking and if you smoke in your house, it’s important to take steps to counteract some of the bad effects. Smoking in your house can make a huge negative difference in indoor air quality, but if you change your furnace filters more often, you can help mitigate this. Even though not smoking in your house would be better, changing your filters more often is still worth it if you smoke in the house.
2. You Have Pets
If you have dogs, cats or both in your home, chances are good that you should be changing your furnace filters more often. The truth is that your pets might shed a lot in your home, which can result in pet hair and dander floating throughout the home and getting clogged in your furnace filter and duct work. One good way to counteract this is the change your furnace filters on a more frequent basis. This can help you prevent your filters from being clogged and will help you cut down on the pet hair and dander that floats through your home.
3. They Look Clogged When You Change Them
It’s not abnormal for furnace filters to look dirty when you change them. After all, if they were perfectly clean, there would be no reason to change them at all, right? However, if you find that your furnace filters always look really dirty every time that you change them, there is a chance that you are waiting too long in-between swapping them out. Try swapping them out more often, and you might find that this issue goes away. This can help you ensure that your furnace is operating more efficiently and might make a difference in your indoor air quality as well.
If you are like many people, there is a chance that you might not be changing your furnace filters as often as you should be. If you are unsure of how to do so, consider contacting the heating company that handled your furnace installation so that you can learn how.
