October 7, 2024
HVAC filters in Belgrade, MT

Forgetting to change your air filter is probably the most common mistake homeowners make when it comes to caring for their furnaces and air conditioners. Every molecule of air that moves through your ductwork has to go through that filter. As it fills up with dirt, the filter lets progressively less air through it. Eventually you get to a point where the fan motor works twice as hard just to get past this artificial roadblock.

Running an air conditioner or a heater becomes progressively more expensive as pollutants pile up in the filter. People who run their systems more often will see the most drastic changes, though even a sporadic user will eventually start wasting energy if they don’t periodically replace their air filter. Replacing a dirty filter can have such a major effect on power consumption that our technicians at PJ's Plumbing & Heating check this vital component whenever they go out to a West Yellowstone, MT home.

How Long Do Air Filters Last?

Manufacturers normally recommend changing the filter every three months. Using one longer than that increases the amount of kilowatt hours consumed when pushing air through your vents. If you run your heating or air conditioner often, then you might have problems after only 50-60 days. Dirty indoor conditions fill the filter’s matrix up faster, thus wasting even more power.

Leaks can occur if you use the wrong size filter, and these have a huge impact on the system’s overall efficiency. Properly fitted filters will sit snugly in place and only let air pass through their matrix rather than around the sides. Fortunately, the HVAC industry came up with several metrics to help technicians pick the right filter for the job.

Measuring Air Filter Efficiency

Nearly all filters come stamped with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value figure. Also called a MERV rating, this figure tells users how good a filter is at stopping dust particles. Lower MERV rating filters won’t trap as many contaminants, which means they save energy by letting more air through. Homeowners who need high MERV-rated filters will have to change them more often to make up for this discrepancy.

Lower MERV ratings translate into energy savings, since a permissive filter lets air through in greater amounts. Commercial-grade filters make sense for use in industrial settings, but they’ll just waste power in an average detached home. MERV ratings above 12 are best left in hospitals and other sterile environments since they’ll just impede the flow of air in other situations.

Surprising Ways Filters Impact Efficiency

Faulty filters can affect your system in ways you may have never thought of. For instance, a dirty filter will start to deposit debris in your air flow that will then find a home inside of ducts and vents. Your HVAC equipment will have to work harder the moment these areas are clogged up. Simply changing the filter won’t fix the problem by that point. You’ll have to have all your ducts cleaned out just to keep your furnace or AC unit from working twice as hard.

Assuming your system isn’t already dirty, regular filter maintenance makes a major impact in a few other ways:

  • Providing better temperature control
  • Lowering the frequency of repairs
  • Reducing risk that blowers will wear out
  • Cutting down on the amount of house cleaning necessary by improving air quality

Solid pleated air filters are more efficient than other types. PJ's Plumbing & Heating representatives will advise you on the right kind to use.

Factors That Affect HVAC Efficiency

Changing air filters regularly keeps your system from working overtime, but other maintenance tasks may help just as much. Replacing faulty components and cleaning out all of the air passages ensures that your equipment won’t consume more power than it has to. Even a malfunctioning thermostat can waste quite a bit of power if it’s more than a degree or two off.

At PJ's Plumbing & Heating, our experienced HVAC technicians offer maintenance packages that include a whole-system tune-up that will keep your equipment running smoothly. Whether you need a simple inspection or want entirely new HVAC equipment installed, our team has you covered. Our special services include everything from boiler repair to geothermal heating installation. If you have air filter problems in Bozeman, call PJ's Plumbing & Heating today, and our technicians will sort out the issue.

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