How to Replace a Furnace Filter

Over the weekend the HH and I took a trip to Home Depot to get a new filter for our furnace.  Holy Cow!  There are about a billion choices, each more boring than the last.

It all started when the HH pulled out the old filter to give it a quick check.  He said it was time to get a new one.  I believed him, largely due the fact I wouldn’t be able to tell otherwise.  As we drove, though, I started to think maybe I should know a thing or two about stuff like this, so I asked the HH to give me the rundown.

Here’s the basics:

1. Check your filter regularly.  Houses are built airtight these days, so the filter really has to work to keep the air clean.  A dirty filter can affect the performance of your furnace, your furnace’s longevity, and your power bill.  After comparing a brand new filter to our rather gray and dingy one, I can totally see what I need to look for.
2. To remove the filter, shut off the power at the electrical outlet on the furnace and open the access panel.  Pull out the filter.  For a newbie, like me, it’s a good idea to mark which side of the filter faced up and which faced forward, etc.  A sharpie and some arrows should do the trick.  Then, when you get the new filter, you can compare it to the markings on your old filter and make sure you put it back in correctly.
3. Make sure you know what size of filter you need, because I am not kidding you, Home Depot had a ton.  The size should be listed on the side of the filter.  Also, just so you know, if you don’t have an HH, you may want to google different types of filters.  You can get disposable {most common} or a variety of Cadillac-type filters that do everything but the dishes.
4. To put it back in, open that access panel again, and slide the filter into place.  Make sure you have the right side facing toward you.
5. As a sidenote, since your in the general area, don’t be afraid to grab the shop vac and do a little cleanup around and in the furnace access panel.  Make sure to turn the electrical outlet on the furnace to off before you do, though.

That’s it.  Pretty basic stuff when you get right down to it.

~Mavis