{"id":631,"date":"2018-12-24T11:00:28","date_gmt":"2018-12-24T16:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/?p=631"},"modified":"2025-10-28T04:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T08:04:08","slug":"regularly-change-furnace-filter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/heating-service\/regularly-change-furnace-filter\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Sure to Regularly Change the Furnace Filter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/filter-man-ready-to-change-it-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Man holding a clean air filter for furnace repair service on a white background.\n\" class=\"wp-image-633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/filter-man-ready-to-change-it-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/filter-man-ready-to-change-it-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/filter-man-ready-to-change-it-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/filter-man-ready-to-change-it.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can offer plenty of advice for how to better and more energy efficiently heat your home during the winter. And we can offer plenty of <a href=\"\/service-areas\/davison-mi-hvac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">heating services in Davison, MI<\/a> to improve your overall comfort. But if we could only say <em>one thing<\/em>, only give a single piece of advice, it would be to regularly change your furnace\u2019s air filter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why You Should Regularly Change Your Furnace Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A clean furnace filter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>protects internal furnace components from dust and debris<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>helps your system run more efficiently and lowers energy costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prevents airflow restriction and system strain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>should be checked monthly, replace cheap panel filters every 1 month, stronger pleated ones every 3 months<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>can often be replaced by a pro during routine maintenance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, we have our own website and the space to elaborate on this advice \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does a Furnace Filter Actually Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To explain what the furnace filter does, it\u2019s best to first explain what it <em>doesn\u2019t<\/em> do. It doesn\u2019t clean the air in your home. Although it can remove some of the particles circulating around your home, this isn\u2019t its primary job; if you want filtered, healthier air, arrange for special indoor air quality filter to be installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What the furnace filter is actually in place to do is protect the interior of the furnace from the particles draw in through the return air vents. A large amount of dust and lint can get into the furnace cabinet and cause damage to the furnace\u2019s effectiveness if the filter weren\u2019t there to block them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs Your Furnace Filter Is Clogged<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The furnace filter doesn\u2019t have any way to clean itself, so it will eventually gather enough debris to become clogged. The same way you don\u2019t want the lint catcher in the clothes dryer to become clogged (your clothes will come out damp and the dryer will waste energy), you don\u2019t want the furnace filter to become clogged (the furnace won\u2019t work as efficiently). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/furnace\/when-to-call-a-professional-for-furnace-repair\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A clogged furnace filter can also lead<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to system issues that may require professional repair.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How long does it take before a furnace filter needs to be replaced? It depends on the strength of the filter, as well as how often the HVAC system is running. Inexpensive panel filters usually need to be replaced once a month. Stronger pleated filters can last around three months, and sometimes longer. Get in the habit of checking monthly on the filter to see if it\u2019s getting clogged so you\u2019ll have an idea of how frequently you need to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should You Use a Permanent Furnace Filter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re probably familiar with the permanent plastic air filters found in window air conditioning units. Furnaces can also use these, and they need to be cleaned once a month. However, we don\u2019t recommend using permanent filters: they aren\u2019t powerful at catching particles, and they can develop mold and mildew over time. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/heating-service\/the-benefits-of-gas-furnaces-over-electric-furnaces\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gas furnaces tend to perform better<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in efficiency and heating capacity, making proper filtration even more important.<\/span> Non-permanent filters are not expensive (you can often purchase packs of panel filters for around a dollar per filter) and work far better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Locate And Replace Your Furnace Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you aren\u2019t sure where the filter is located, there are two places to look. You\u2019ll often find the filter in a slot at the point where the return air ducts connect to the furnace cabinet. If the filter is not located there, you can find it behind the grill of the return air vent in your home. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/heating-service\/how-manage-if-furnace-fails-winter\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your furnace fails during winter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, knowing how to check the filter can help you rule out basic issues.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help finding or changing your furnace\u2019s filter, you can always rely on our professionals. We\u2019ll change the filter for you during each maintenance visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/contact\/schedule-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">If Your Home Had a Voice, It Would Call First Choice!<\/a> First Choice Heating &amp; Cooling Will Make Your Home Happy.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have our own website and the space to elaborate on this advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[120,125,49],"class_list":["post-631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-heating-service","tag-davison","tag-gas-furnaces","tag-heating-system-maintenance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1895,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631\/revisions\/1895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstchoiceheat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}