Are you experiencing a particularly cold winter? If so, your furnace is probably working overtime to keep you nice and cozy, and your house’s heat level to the comfort zone that you desire. While this is great for keeping you comfortable it tends to cause your furnace to work harder, push more air through your furnace air filter, and cause you to run through furnace air filters at a greater frequency than you would otherwise. With dusty air being a real problem for many people, especially asthmatics, it’s wise to inspect and replace your furnace air filter every month during extremely cold months, and regularly otherwise.

The first reason to replace your air filter is to minimize the amount of dusty air that runs through your house. Much like a cluttered dryer filter gives you clothes that are covered in lint, a dirty furnace filter will leave the air that you breathe polluted by annoying and uncomfortable dust and grit. For most people this isn’t a major problem, but for some, especially those with respiratory conditions such as asthma, this can be a major problem. Minimize the amount of dust in your air by installing a new air filter, such as a 3m furnace air filter, in your furnace every month during heavy load, and regularly otherwise.

Secondly, a dirty filter can provide an environment for bacteria and fungus to grow. While furnaces aren’t renowned for dampness, when they remain nonoperational for a long period of time, such as a lengthy warm summer, it’s possible for problems to start brewing. Prevent against the possibility of unhealthy environments by replacing your air filter regularly.

If you’re using a reusable furnace air filter, you likely won’t need to replace it as often as otherwise. Disposable filters are cheap, but you could end up saving money by investing a little more into a reusable air filter and simply cleaning it out when it gets filled with lint and dirt.

Use a hose or water adapter to clean out your reusable furnace air filter and leave it to dry outdoors. By using a hose to remove the dust and lint, you minimize the amount of dust that spreads around while outside.   In this way you can thoroughly clean out the filter and leave your air filter to dry in only few short hours.  From there, it’s simply a matter of replacing the air filter and enjoying another month of clean heat.