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Living in the Springfield, OR area means having an operating furnace to keep your home warm and comfortable during the long, cold winters. One aspect of having a functional heater is getting it maintained on a routine basis. A simple maintenance task that goes a long way toward your system running well each season is replacing the air filter. Learn more about replacing your furnace’s air filter and some of the top benefits of doing so.

What Do We Mean By “Regularly”?

Standard practice is to replace the furnace’s air filter every three months. Of course, circumstances may require that you swap out the filter sooner than this. For instance, if you have smokers in your household, it makes more sense to put in a new filter every 30 to 60 days or so. The same goes for pets; if your furry friends shed their hair and put out a lot of dander, you’ll want to make the change every 30 to 60 days.

How much you use your heater can also dictate the filter change frequency. If it’s an especially cold winter in Springfield and you’re using your furnace essentially nonstop, consider replacing the filter every one to two months. If it’s unseasonably warm during the normally cold months of the year, you might be able to get away with doing the change-out every three months or thereabouts.

Also consider the type of filter you use. If you happen to use high-efficiency filters, then you most likely can go several months without swapping them out.

The following are just a few of the best reasons to replace the furnace’s air filter on a regular basis.

Enjoy Cleaner Indoor Air

The job of the air filter is to prevent pollutants, dirt, and other substances from getting spread throughout your home as your HVAC system runs. As you use your furnace over the winter months, the filter will gradually become dirtier and more clogged up. The more dust and other particles that get trapped within the filter, the harder it has to work. If it becomes too dirty, it may start pushing out some of its accumulated material. It also just might stop filtering altogether. Replacing the filter on a regular basis can help prevent the issue of dust and other unhealthy organisms circulating around your home.

Cleaner indoor air also means healthier air. If you or a family member suffers from allergies, then it’s imperative to perform regular filter changes. Allergens can also get pushed throughout your home out of a dirty filter, eventually causing sickness if breathed in or exposed to. Things like dust can also cause sneezing and coughing in normally healthy people, possibly leading to more serious illnesses.

Save Money on Energy, Repair, and Replacement Costs

The dirtier an air filter gets, the harder your heating system has to work to push out warm air. When your furnace has to put in more effort to do its basic job, one result of this is that you’ll start seeing an increase in your monthly energy bills. If you consider how often you might use your furnace, then there’s no reason to let it run more than it needs to and for you to spend more on heating costs.

Another problem with increased wear and tear on your heating unit is that it could cause performance or efficiency issues that will then require repairing. Depending on the severity of the problem, repairs can range from hundreds to up to thousands of dollars.

The worst-case scenario here is that all the extra stress on your unit could cause it to break down prematurely. This is something to avoid as much as possible due to the high up-front cost of a brand-new furnace. Not to mention, you don’t want to be without a heater during frigidly cold days and nights in Springfield. It will become rather unpleasant being inside your home that doesn’t have any heat. You also risk your pipes freezing and extensive plumbing problems when these pipes burst and then flood your place.

Note that the price will be even higher if you have to replace the entire HVAC system, including the air conditioner. This can cost upward of tens of thousands of dollars. This is all the more reason to practice the easy task of routine filter replacements.

Prolong the Unit’s Life Span

Whether or not air filter changes are part of a company’s maintenance plan depends on the business and what they include as part of the program. Regardless if you change the filter yourself or have a professional do it, including this task as part of an annual tune-up will help extend the useful life of your furnace.

A fresh, new filter will make it that much easier for your system to push out the warm air you need to stay comfortable in your home. In other words, your furnace won’t have to exert so much extra energy to do what it’s designed to do. Keeping your system running normally like this won’t add to its overall stress. As long as you schedule yearly maintenance for your heater, it should function properly and continue to serve you well for a while.

It’s possible for furnaces that get annual tune-ups to last for up to 20 years. It’s more likely that you can get 10 to 15 years from your unit, which is still pretty good. Keeping the same unit around for this long means you won’t have to invest time and money into researching new systems and replacing yours.

We recommend a fall tune-up before the winter season. This way, you’ll get your furnace prepared for the busy months ahead.

You Can Change the Filter Yourself

While the majority of furnace maintenance tasks you should leave to the professionals at Jco Heating A/C Electrical, changing the air filter is one job you can do yourself. Depending on the HVAC system and/or your home’s layout, the filter might be at the end of one of the vents. Your furnace may also have a dedicated slot for the filter. Simply find the location, take out the old filter, and put in the new one.

Air filters come in different sizes, so make sure you get one that fits your system. One that’s too big won’t fit inside the space allotted for it, and one that’s too small might not filter effectively.

Note that if you’re planning on buying another home or selling your current place, we can perform the filter change for you as part of our comprehensive HVAC inspection service.

Contact Us Today!

In addition to maintenance, our company also handles furnace repair and replacement. We can do the same for air conditioners. We also provide HVAC service for heat pumps and ductless mini-splits. If air quality is a problem in your home, we offer products like air purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. You can also trust us for electrical services related to panels and circuit breakers. Give Jco Heating A/C Electrical a call today to set up your heating appointment in Springfield.