Can I Remove a Furnace Filter?
Your furnace requires maintenance and care just as with any other climate control device in your house. Virtually every model of furnace comes with some kind of filter, whether it's a flat filter or a HEPA filter. Caring for your furnace's filtration system keeps it clean and less likely to require repairs. Its lifetime depends on how well you maintain its filter. Does this Spark an idea?
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Can I Remove the Filter Myself?
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Removing a filter in a furnace is basically a normal requirement for every owner of any furnace. The filter traps dust and other particles and prevents them from getting into the ducts around your house, making the air cleaner. If you do not change the filter, the furnace works harder to try to blow air through the ducts because of the dust trapped in the filter.
How Often Should I Change My Filter?
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Your furnace has instructions written on its side that include instructions on how to change the filter and how often to change it. If you do not have these instructions, follow the indications from your manufacturer. Filters need to be changed every three months or so. Some filters can even last one year without needing a change. It all depends on the type of filter your furnace uses.
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How Filters Work
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Filters vary based on their structure, but not in their function. All filters trap dust, but some others, such as HEPA filters, trap even smaller particles that might cause allergies in some sensitive occupants of your house. Filters simply collect small particles in the air that are on their way to the blower and keep them within a very tightly woven net. The dust may come from your skin, the walls or occupants moving around inside the house, which picks up dust.
Types of Filters
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Your furnace might support more than one type of filter. Furnaces supporting disposable fiberglass filters might also support electrostatic filters, for example. Fiberglass filters simply catch dust particles on a net. This may not be efficient, but it's the cheapest way of getting rid of impurities in the air. Electrostatic filters use static electricity to trap dust. You may also clean them instead of disposing of them. A pleated filter, the third most common type of filter, uses mesh to trap even small bacteria that travel through the air. High-efficiency pleated (HEPA) models exist in the market for those who want maximum protection, but they also reduce the airflow in the house.
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