How to Clean Furnace Filters
While HVAC experts (and likely your furnace manufacturer) recommend cleaning or replacing furnace filters every 30 to 90 days, the vast majority of us don't comply with this timeline. Fortunately, cleaning your furnace filter is easy. If you clean your filter properly, your furnace will perform better over both the short and long term. Clean furnace filters also significantly improve the air quality in your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Pop open your furnace's service panel. Most of the time, you will not need tools to do this. In the rare cases that tools are required to open your furnace's service panel, it generally only takes a screwdriver.
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2
Find your furnace's power switch and turn it off; to be safe, you may want to cut off the power supply at the breaker as well.
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3
Locate the furnace filter. The furnace filter is a square or rectangular piece of mesh with a cardboard, light-weight plastic or light-weight metal frame. It can usually be found near the intake blower.
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4
Remove the furnace filter by sliding or lifting it out by hand.
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If your filter has a plastic or metal frame and is reusable, spray it off with a hose to rinse away accumulated dust and debris. Allow it to dry before replacing it in the furnace.
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If your furnace filter has a cardboard frame, purchase a replacement; this type of filter is disposable and cannot be cleaned with water. These filters are generally very inexpensive and can be found at any home improvement store and many department stores with home-improvement departments.
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Turn your furnace back on and replace the service panel cover. Sweep or vacuum the floor around your furnace.
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Tips & Warnings
Know your furnace; if you know that you need a disposable cardboard-framed filter ahead of time, you can save yourself some time by having a few on stand-by. Before you head out to purchase your furnace filters, check the frame of the filter that is currently in your furnace for the correct size.
Do not return a wet filter to your furnace. Do not attempt to do any kind of maintenance or repairs on your furnace without turning off the power first. If you do not know how to disconnect your furnace from its power source, contact a professional for assistance.
