4 Signs You Need To Change Your Furnace Filter
It's never good to have a dusty, clogged air filter. However, with all the hustle and bustle of a busy home, replacing your air filter is an easy task to forget. Knowing what issues a clogged filter causes will help you figure out if the filter is the cause of your furnace woes.
Low Heat Output
If your heater is running, but you're noticing colder air than usual coming from your vents, it's a sign that your filter is restricting airflow. Your air filter has perforations that allow air to pass through, while the rest of the filter works to stop debris.
When your filter is clogged, the filter perforations start limiting the air that passes through them. When there's less airflow, less air is circulating through your heater, which means less warm air is passing through your vents. Your furnace could be running at full force, but the filter blocks the heat, leaving you colder than usual.
Your Furnace Keeps Turning On
Another symptom that your filter needs to be changed is when your heater turns on and off frequently. The clogged filter can't allow air to flow freely, so less heat circulates in your home. Your furnace may struggle to get your home to the right temperature and quickly cools off because it can't distribute heat efficiently. These frequent heating cycles lead to higher energy bills.
Burning Smell
It can be alarming to smell burning when you turn on your furnace. While this burning scent can be benign, the burning smell indicates a potential fire hazard. Typically, what you're smelling is dust burning off of your filter. The dust burns off your filter due to your furnace becoming too hot from the airflow restriction. However, if the airflow restriction continues, it could cause a fire.
If your furnace is emitting a burning scent, you should turn off your furnace and change the filters. If changing the filters doesn't resolve the burning smell, you should immediately reach out to an HVAC specialist.
Your House Is More Dusty Than Usual
Your filter's job is to catch dust particles as they cycle through your furnace. However, if the filter is clogged, there's nothing left to intercept the dust particles. If your filter is very clogged, you may even notice some of the dust on the filter recirculating throughout your home. When there's nothing to stop the dust, it doesn't just stay where it rests. The dust gets blown around until it coats most surfaces. So, if you're struggling to keep your house dusted—or if you notice an uptick of dust allergies—you may want to check your furnace filter.
If replacing your filter doesn't get to the root of your heating woes, reach out to an HVAC technician. They will be able to correct any issues that are preventing your furnace from doing its job. Contact a furnace repair service for more information.
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