The Importance of Air Filters to Your Heating System
Whether you own a heat pump or furnace, your heating system comes with a crucial component called the air filter. Located in the return vent, it has the job of capturing pollutants like dust, lint, pet dander, and mold spores. Why are filters important? The answer can be laid out as follows.
They Protect the Heating Components
The primary purpose of filters is to keep the above-mentioned pollutants from gathering inside the furnace or, in the case of heat pumps, the air handler. A dirty system is an inefficient one.
For instance, you don’t want dust and dirt all over the furnace blades and burners. Dirty burners will prevent the heat exchanger from heating up to its full capacity, causing the furnace to run longer to reach your set point. In fact, it may never reach the set point as the air will be largely lukewarm. As for dirty blades, these will work harder to spin. In both cases, the results will be more wear and tear and higher energy bills.
They Keep the Indoor Air Clean
Contrary to popular belief, filters are only secondarily meant to clean the air. Naturally, they do this by capturing pollutants, so they can be said to be essential to occupants’ health, especially when occupants suffer from allergies or a respiratory condition like asthma.
Problems Caused by Clogged Filters
Filters have their purpose, but things can backfire if they are not routinely replaced. Clogged filters will obstruct the distribution of air, forcing the system to work harder to heat your home. At the same time, pollutants will pass right through the filter, collect on the interior components, and do the damage that we described above.
Serving Homeowners Since 1995
Evans Mechanical has been serving the people of Eureka, CA, for 25 years now, and we would be happy to set you up for maintenance. We mention this because our tune-ups will cover filter replacement or, if you own washable filters, cleaning. We also service furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters. Call our locally owned and operated company today for more details.
