If you’re like most homeowners, you don’t give your furnace much thought throughout the year. As long as you’re cool in the summer and warm in the winter, nothing else matters. Unfortunately, keeping your furnace performing well requires a bit of attention and upkeep. Your furnace filter is a key component when it comes to maintaining its health and efficiency.

The Filter

Homeowners commonly believe that the furnace filter is intended to help purify indoor air and maintain air quality. Although a filter can definitely aid in that regard, that’s not its primary purpose. The main goal a furnace filter is to ensure that dust, hair, and other contaminants don’t clog up your furnace. Your furnace operates by pulling in air, warming it with a heat exchanger, and then blowing it back into your home via ducts with the aid of a blower. If environmental contaminants are allowed to build up over its components, that hampers its ability to operate normally. Over time, that hinders its efficiency, wears down its various parts, and can lead to the need for costly repairs.

MERV Ratings

Many people seem to think that all furnace filters are pretty much the same, but that’s simply not true. Not only do filters come in different sizes, but they also have different ratings. You’ve seen the MERV rating on a filter before, but you may not have given the number much thought. The MERV rating tells you how well the filter captures particulates. The higher the MERV rating (listed from 1 to 16), the better it prevents air contaminants from passing through it. While it may sound like a bigger number is always better, it’s importance to balance the rating with your needs and furnace. A higher MERV rating makes it more challenging for your system to pull air through the filter. That means more effort, which could lead to your system being overworked.

Finding an HVAC company near me in Lawrenceville is easy enough. If you have any questions, concerns or need assistance, contact the professionals at Triad Mechanical. A little bit of upkeep goes a long way.