Fifty-two percent of Canadian homes use forced air furnaces for their principle source of heat in the winter and to move cool air through the house in the summer season. Green$aver, a leading Ontario independent non-profit corporation that specializes in environmental energy efficiency and home energy audits, reminds homeowners to change their furnace filter on a regular basis. A clean filter improves home comfort, helps save fuel, and reduces wear on the furnace blower motor.
Checking Your Furnace Filter - Furnace filters should be checked at least every six months and more often where there are dusty conditions. If the filter is dirty, consider using a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter as a replacement. HEPA filters capture a astounding 99.97% of the particles found in the air that passes through them.
Replacing Your Furnace Filter - Here are the simple steps needed to change a furnace filter. If you have doubts about doing it yourself, ask your furnace repairman to show you how to do it the during his next service visit.
- Review the furnace owner's manual
- Sweep or vacuum dirt and dust from around the furnace before the filter is changed
- Locate the electrical breaker panel or power switch for the furnace and shut the power to furnace off
- Locate the furnace service panel. It may be on the lower front or side of unit
- Once you are certain the furnace is shut off, open the service panel. You shouldn't need tools to do it
- Look for a rectangular mesh screen that is mounted near the furnace blower
- Slide the filter out of its bracket and look for dirt or dust buildup on the filter
- If your furnace uses a washable plastic or metal framed filter, rinse the dust off the filter and allow it to dry before reinstalling it
- If your furnace uses a disposable paper filter, make a note of its size and purchase an exact replacement. It wouldn't hurt to keep a spare filter on-hand
Check the MERV Filter Rating - The minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) is a standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers to rate filter efficiency. A higher MERV rating is a sign of better efficiency and filtering. Check the owner's manual or ask your furnace serviceman before making any change to the higher rated filter. They will reduce air flowing into the furnace and some equipment is unable to handle this change and still perform well
Green$aver offers a number of energy saving tips for homeowners at their www.greensaver.org webpage. The company reminds Canadians considering replacement of their furnaces of federal and provincial subsidies available for purchase of energy efficient models.
Alan Sorum - Alan Sorum is the Maritime Operations Project Manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). Alan is ...
