Furnace Air Filters for Seattle Weather: Fixing Problems

As winter approaches, the weather gets cooler and more damp, therefore, homeowners in Bellevue and Seattle neighborhoods must check their heating systems and furnace air filters. It is one of the first components of the furnace to get dirty last year's use and over the summer. Replacing furnace air filters for fall and winter weather is easy, and homeowners should set a schedule to check every few months to ensure it is filtering out pollutants and keeping their furnace and air conditions in the best shape.

It can also save you money on repair costs, keep your family healthy, and ensure that your home will be cleaner and more comfortable. Furnace air filters are cheap and regularly changing them means that you can prevent costlier repair and damage to your HVAC system.

When is it time to replace the furnace air filter for Seattle and Bellevue weather, or is it time for the furnace to be replaced? Here are the top signs.

When To Replace Furnace Air Filters

Signs that you need to replace furnace air filters for the Pacific Northwest weather:

• The furnace is cycling longer than usual when heating your residence. A dirty furnace air filter hinders the airflow through the furnace. Air carries heat, so when there is less heat, there is less air.
• The installed filter has been in use longer than the manufacturer’s recommendation. Depending on the type of filter used by your furnace, replacement should be done each month or every four to six months, depending on the environment in your area. One thing you’ll notice is the excessive amount of dirt inside your home.
• The furnace emits a high-pitched noise. It means that the blower motor is working harder to suck air or because there is limited airflow.
• There is a burning smell coming from the furnace. It could be due to the overheating of the furnace air filter or the blower motor. This could lead to a dangerous situation, particularly if the safety switches fail to work. Fischer Heating recommends calling a qualified technician immediately to inspect your furnace in cases like this.

Check the filter when the furnace suddenly stops working. If the furnace air filter is clogged, it should be replaced. This is easy to identify. If the once bright-colored or white filter becomes increasingly gray, this means that there is a buildup of dust and dirt on the filter. Try to start the furnace once the filter has been changed. When the furnace air filter is clogged, your fuel consumption will rise. At the same time, it will also shorten the life expectancy of your furnace.

Functions Of Furnace Air Filters

We have been talking about furnace air filters, but what does a filter do? The filter of a furnace cleanses the air inside your home of airborne particles such as smoke, pollen, dust, and viruses such as the COVID-19 virus, as well as others. Air from outdoors is drawn through your home’s ductwork. The air passes through the air filter before it reaches the furnace. Thus, the filter traps whatever unwanted particles are included in the drawn air. The air filter helps the furnace improve its efficiency. It increases the useful life of the system and helps you to breathe healthier and cleaner air.

What Clogs Furnace Air Filters

Although one of the common causes of a clogged filter is the lack of maintenance, other issues can also cause the furnace air filter to be blocked. Here are some of the causes:

• Using poor-quality or inexpensive air filters
• Environmental temperature is colder than normal for the Pacific Northwest, pushing the furnace to run longer.
• The fan of the furnace is always in the ”on” position instead of being set to automatic. If it is left running constantly, the filter tends to clog faster.
• Poor quality of the air inside the home. Pets and too many occupants can cause the amount of allergens and dust in the home to increase. Look for furnace air filters such as Colorfill that help with cat and dog orders and change color over time, letting you know it is time to change the filter.
• Dirty or dusty return air vents. If the return air vents are near areas where there is a buildup of dirt and grime, the contaminants can be sucked up and passed through the furnace air filter.

You’ll know that the furnace air filter of your furnace is clogged by looking for visible signs, such as:

• A layer of debris, dirt, and dust forms on the vent covers (make sure you clean them regularly)
• Dust clogs the return air registers
• The furnace box shows dust buildup
• The airflow is reduced
• The heating level is minimized
• The everyday furnace cycling is shortened

What To Furnaces With Clogged Air Filters

The moving parts of a furnace work harder when the furnace air filter is clogged to compensate for the blocked flow of air. As a result, your utility bill will go up. It can also cause the overheating of the heat exchanger, which will prompt it to shut off faster. This will result in your home not warming up. The frequent occurrence of this shortened and aborted process can lead to the failure of the electronic “limit switch” safeguard. Eventually, the furnace will fail to operate, and the part will have to be replaced.

You might think that the furnace air filter is almost an accessory to the system. However, the filter plays several roles in ensuring the efficient running of the furnace. Its inefficiency in drawing enough air the system needs affects several operations, which is why it needs regular cleaning and/or replacement.

If the filter is clogged, your energy consumption increases. This is because the flower fan will work harder to draw the air that the heating system needs. In the summer, when you need to cool your house from the humid, hot Pacific Northwest weather, a clogged HVAC air filter will cause the evaporator coils to freeze.

A dirty furnace air filter leads will cause the inadequate distribution of heat, resulting in some parts of your house having cold spots. To heat your home to the required level, the furnace will run longer and raise your energy consumption and costs.

Aside from distributing unhealthy air, as the dirt from the filter will eventually be circulated inside your home, your furnace can fail. This means that instead of just spending for the cost of a new furnace air filter, you might be spending for the replacement of costlier parts.

When To Replace The Entire Furnace System

If replacing the furnace air filter for Seattle and Bellevue weather does not solve the problem you are encountering, it might be time to replace your furnace with a more efficient model. Here are some indicators to look out for.

Is the furnace outdated and needs to be replaced? The average life expectancy of a furnace is between 18 and 20 years. If you had it maintained regularly by a professional, you can extend its life for a few more years.

Are there increased frequency repair costs? The age of the furnace is not the only indicator that it needs replacement. If the cost of keeping your furnace running is getting costlier and the breakdowns are more frequent, the heating system is nearing the end of its useful life and must be replaced as soon as you can. If you are wondering how much the cost of furnace repair should be before you consider replacing it, the best indicator is when you are spending about half the price of a new furnace. On the other hand, you should also think of replacing the old furnace, even if the repair costs are minimal, because of the possibility of the unit breaking down again. You can ask Fischer Heating for a detailed appraisal of repair costs versus a new furnace, according to the condition of your heating system.

Heating bills are progressively rising. If your heating bills during the cold season dramatically increase, it is time to think of replacing your furnace. It’s an indication that its efficiency has gone down.

Have a question or need help? Our trained, certified, and licensed HVAC technicians can expertly advise you on whether you only need minor repairs or if you need to replace your heating system. Give us a call now at 206-202-9499 to have an energy audit performed. To help determine how you can save on energy bills, email us or Contact Us.