Tucson Home Maintenance – Furnace Filters
August 27, 2007
Post Tags: ace-hardware-furnace-filters , ac_compressor , furnace-filters , heating_and_cooling_system , routine_maintenance
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On the first day of the month I like to change the furnace filters. It is just a couple of day till the first of September. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, SEPTEMBER! ! !
The filter on the right is the new one. (I know, I didn’t have to tell you that, right, DUH!) The filter on the left is just one month old.
There is an arrow on the side of the filter somewhere indicating the direction of the airflow when putting in the new filter. You do want it to go in facing the right way. It will still work, but not as intended.
When we are out with buyers looking at homes, or even if we are just previewing homes one thing I always look at are the furnace filters. You would be amazed how many homes we go to and the furnace filters are so dirty you can’t even see the light of day through them.
Dirty Furnace Filters can Damage Your Heating and Cooling System
In the last year I know of two homes that have lost the compressor on their air conditioning unit due mostly to blocked furnace filters. There isn’t enough air getting through, the furnace fan and AC compressor run and run trying to cool the air in the house. The AC compressor freezes into a total block of ice and then quits all together. In both of these cases the furnace filters were so dirty light would not pass through them when I took them out and held them up to the sun.
Dirty furnace filters, as mentioned above cause your furnace and air conditioning units to work extra hard and can greatly increase your electric bill. I pay about $20 a month for two furnace filters that filter out very small particulates in the air. You can get some filters for as little as .97 cents. A good compromise are the Ace hardware filters which run about $3.50 apiece. Because we have asthma in the family and two cat, neither of the cats is asthmatic, I use the more expensive filters.
If you are out looking at buying a home, check to see how dirty the furnace filters are. Why? because if they are very dirty there is a good chance the heating and cooling systems in the house have been working overtime. And because extremely dirty furnace filter can be an indication of deferred routine maintenance in other parts of the house.
Changing Furnace Filters Once a Month Can Save You Money
I know it is a mundane task and most people hate mundane tasks. Setting up a routine makes it easier. This is why I do two things. I buy three months worth of filters at the same time so I don’t have to go get the filters when it is time to change them. And I change the filters on the first day of the month. If we are going to be out of town, I change them before leaving. (Why not after I get back since no one is in the house anyway?) Because when we get back, we are tired, we have to unpack, and there are lots of other things that need our attention and the furnace filters at that point get shoved way down the list.
Setting up a routine and changing the furnace filters once a month will:
- decrease the wear and tear on your heating and cooling system
- make the air better for breathing in your home
- and it will decrease your monthly heating and cooling bills.
You’ve still got four days to go get those filters and be ready to put them in on September 1st. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, ITS SEPTEMBER ALL READY! ! !
August 28th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Wow, every month! You’re something else!;-) Good for you. This reminds me I haven’t looked at mine for ages… But I’m renting now and frankly… whatever happens, dear owners deserve it.
August 28th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Hum,
Do they also pay the utility bills?
Can you live without Air Conditioning if the compressor freezes up?
You just might want to check the filter : )
August 28th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
No, they don’t pay the bills.;-) And yes, I did live without heat on a couple of the most freezing nights and without air on one of the hottest because of these greedy, nothing-replacing SOBs (excuse my French). Everything is kept “original” from when it was built. Interesting why the rent is not the same as in 1970. Can’t wait to get out of this glorified dump.:-( If it weren’t for that, maybe wasn’t gonna take a chance at this crazy market.
August 28th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
The market isn’t crazy, the people are crazy : )