Clean Furnace Filters Deliver Better Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency!

It’s winter and most of us have already begun to feel the effects of poor indoor air quality: dry skin, dry sinuses, stale air, etc. The average person inhales about 32,000 pints of air in a single day. Every one of those pints contains billions and billions of tiny particles of dust, pollen, dirt, and other microscopic debris. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Yuck!

Spending lots of time inside during the cold winter months can really do a number on your respiratory system, but there is a way to significantly improve the quality of the air inside your home. It is simple, inexpensive, and really effective. So what is it? Clean or change your furnace air filter!

In order to create the healthiest indoor environment possible, you have to keep the air clean. The best way to accomplish this is to select a furnace air filter that meets the needs of you and your family. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, the furnace air filter is a frequently overlooked source of poor indoor air quality, especially during the winter when heating systems run almost constantly.

As air passes through your home’s heating system, the furnace air filter traps dust and other particles and prevents them from entering your home. After several months, most furnace filters become so dirty that they can no longer effectively remove these pollutants from the air. What’s more, a dirty furnace air filter prevents your heating system from working at its peak so you could see an increase in your utility bills. Cleaning or changing the furnace filter regularly will not only improve the air inside your home, but it will also help you save money.

There are many different kinds of furnace air filters available. The key to choosing the right furnace filter is to decide which best suits your needs and your particular system. Each type of furnace filter has a different efficiency rating, different strengths and weaknesses, and different features that make them desirable for certain customers.

Generally, furnace air filters fall into one of several categories:

• Electrostatic furnace filters: Use an electric charge to attract particles; are washable and reusable
• Media furnace filters: Most frequently used in commercial applications; trap particles in thick layers of disposable material and need to be changed less frequently than other types
• Pleated furnace filters: Most common type; large surface area traps particles before they reach system interior
• HEPA furnace filters: Capture 99.9% of particles; good for allergy sufferers or environments where good air quality is essential (i.e. hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, etc.)
• Activated carbon furnace filters: Good for removing unpleasant odors from air (ex. cigarette smoke, gases, chemical smells, cooking odors, etc.)
• Fiberglass furnace filters: Durable; sometimes coated with special adhesive to trap dust and dirt particles

Improving your indoor air quality is not the only reason to replace your furnace air filter. Dirty furnace filters are one of the primary causes of furnace breakdowns and high heating costs. The more dust and debris that accumulates on your furnace filter, the harder your furnace has to work. Your furnace air filter should be changed every three months to maintain optimum performance. Always be sure to select the right size and type of filter for your heating system. Your Horizon Services Heating Technician can advise you on the best furnace filter for your system.


Related Information from Horizon Services...

• Horizon Heating Services
• 101 Ways to Save Energy and Money in Your Home
• Indoor Air Quality - A Major Problem for Homeowners
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Seasonal Energy Saving Tips

According to HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) industry data, the average American homeowner spends approximately $1300 a year on heating and cooling bills. While green overhauls are all the rage in the home improvement and construction industry, it’s not necessary to gut your home’s existing heating and cooling system. There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient without breaking the bank. Making a few simple changes and taking the time to maintain your current HVAC system can result in hundreds or thousands of dollars saved on utilities.

One of the best ways to ensure your home’s energy-efficiency is to choose Energy Star appliances. These machines have been certified by the government’s Energy Star program, which assures they meet high standards of efficiency and reliability. If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, air conditioner, television, microwave, or other major appliance, look for the Energy Star label to guarantee you’re getting the most efficient device with a low operating cost.

Maintenance is the best way to prevent undue wear and tear on your home’s heating and cooling system. Not only will regular maintenance keep your HVAC system running at optimum performance, but it will detect problems or malfunctions before they become major issues.

To keep your HVAC system running as it should, follow these basic tips:

Selecting the RIGHT Heating and Cooling Equipment and Systems for Maximum Energy Efficiency!

If you’ve done all you can to improve the energy and cost efficiency of your home’s current HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) system, but nothing seems to work, it may be time for an upgrade. If your system is more than 15 years old, it’s probably time to replace it with a newer, more efficient model. Today's state-of-the-art HVAC systems offer far superior heating and cooling performance and cost much less to operate than the heaters and air conditioners of 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

Before you commit to such a significant investment in your home, make sure you understand the different types of HVAC systems out there and do your research to find the one that’s right for your home.

• Furnaces: Furnaces are probably the most common type of residential heating system. Most furnaces are gas-powered, but they can run on oil, propane, or electricity. Heat is delivered to the different areas of the home through a series of ducts, vents, and registers. Energy-efficient furnaces usually use blower motors—either electronically commutated motors or some other type of air circulating fan.

• Boilers: A boiler produces heat by burning propane, oil, or gas to heat steam or water. The hot water then circulates through pipes in baseboards, radiators, or radiant heat flooring instead of ducts. Energy Star rated boilers have several features that help improve their energy efficiency including electronic ignition switches (which eliminates the need of a constantly-burning pilot light), and other features that extract a greater amount of heat by using the same amount of fuel.

• Central Air Conditioners: Most residential air conditioning systems are split systems: There is an outdoor unit that houses a condenser and compressor, and an indoor component that has an evaporator coil. Both of these components must be replaced at the same time, or you’ll end up with low efficiency and possible system failure. There are two measurements most commonly used to determine efficiency. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures how efficiently an air conditioner will operate through an entire season; Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) measures how efficiently a system will operate when the outdoor temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Some experts recommend replacing your furnace at the same time as your air conditioning system, as they both use the same blower motor and ductwork.

• Heat Pumps: Heat pumps produce both warm and cool air in a single integrated unit. Two types to consider:
  
  Electric air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are often used in moderate climate regions, and take the difference between outdoor air and indoor air temperatures to determine appropriate levels of heating and cooling inside the home. ASHPs have higher SEER and EER ratings than other models, and rank higher on the Heating and Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), which measures overall heating efficiency.
  
  Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use natural heat from the ground to warm the air inside your home. Because GHPs use a completely natural heat source, they are the most efficient heating system available. The initial cost of these systems can be significantly higher than that of other units, but the savings they produce on energy costs is substantial. Most units pay for themselves in less than a year. GHPs require ducts and are most often installed in new residential construction.

More About HVAC Installation & Replacement from Horizon Services...

• Horizon HVAC Installation & Replacement Services
• Choosing The Right HVAC Contractor
• Deciding To Replace Your HVAC Equipment
• HVAC Equipment Basics
• Making The Right Decision about HVAC Equipment and Systems
• The HVAC Installation Process
• The HVAC System Analysis

Thinking about installing a boiler for home heating and hot water? In this video, John Costa, Training Manager at Horizon Services, Inc. explains what you should be looking for in a boiler and what makes OUR boilers different from others on the market. John covers a variety of boiler topics and components including: boiler efficiency, firing rate, outdoor temperature sensors, variable speed blowers, domestic hot water, expansion tanks, pumps vs. zone valves, air elimination, flow check valves, purge valves, safety devices, set up and installation procedures.

• Learn More About Horizon's Heating Services!
• Learn More About Heating/Cooling and Installation!
  

Here’s one of the most common heating problems we see at Horizon Services: people who never or rarely change their furnace filters. Far too many homeowners underestimate the importance of regular filter replacement. Others are under the erroneous impression that all furnace filters are the same; sorry, folks…but that’s not the case.

Cold Hard Fact: Selecting the right filter for your furnace and replacing your filters according to a recommended maintenance schedule is the smartest thing you can do to keep your furnace working at peak efficiency, prevent furnace breakdowns and to guarantee that your furnace has a long and productive life.

Here are some important things you need to know about filters and your furnace:

Furnace filters work to remove dust and particles from the air that circulate around your home. When the filter is dirty or clogged with debris, the furnace has to work much harder to push warm air through the blower. This means higher energy costs and increased wear and tear on the furnace.

Clogged filters can also have a negative impact on the air quality inside your home. Dust and pollutants plugging your furnace’s filter are pushed out when air blows through it. This releases mold spores, pollen, dust mites, dander, bacteria and other invisible nasties into the air inside your home. You may notice increased sensitivity like burning, itchy eyes, coughing, sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing or more acute allergic reactions.

What’s more, since many Americans spend the majority of their time indoors—some of us as much as 90 percent—most of the air we breathe is recycled. Sealing doors and windows may help reduce energy costs and restrict the release of harmful chemicals into the environment, but it also sentences us to a life of breathing the same air over and over. None of the trapped air gets out, no fresh air gets in.

A dirty furnace filter can actually help contribute to chronic conditions like asthma and allergies, as well as increase frequency of illnesses like bronchitis and the flu.

One of the best ways to maintain a healthy home is to replace your furnace filter regularly. Once a month, inspect your furnace’s filter for dirt and dust. If it looks dirty, replace it—no matter when you changed it last. More dust can accumulate at certain times of the year, like in winter when the furnace is most often used, so you may need to change the filter more frequently during these seasons.

As for types of filters, there are several options to choose from:

• Standard furnace filters are made from fiberglass threads, cloth or open cell foam in a cardboard frame. They can be purchased at most home improvement stores for less than $5. Standard filters remove as much as 10 percent of the large dust particles in the air and should be changed monthly.
  


• Reusable or washable filters are more durable and more effective in removing particles from the air. However, they do require regular cleaning and the trapped debris can be difficult to remove.
  


• Pleated disposable filters have a larger capture area thanks to their folded structure. The filtering material is usually quite dense and because the surface area is bigger, these kinds of filters are more effective than other kinds—removing up to 40 percent of pollutants. They can cost as much as $10 but only need to be replaced a few times a year.
  


• High efficiency pleated filters are the top of the line. They use electrostatic charges to remove debris from the air, capturing about 30 times more allergens and small particles than standard filters. They can cost upwards of $25 but are so highly regarded that they have received the endorsement of the American and Canadian Lung Associations.
  

If you’ve got questions about furnace filters, contact Horizon Services. One of our experienced heating service technicians can help you select the right filter for your heating system and help design the optimal filter replacement schedule. He can also show you the proper way to remove and install a filter on your furnace so that you can become a true do-it-yourselfer!

• Learn More About Horizon's Heating Services!