Your furnace depends on its ability to circulate air, which is affected by the contaminants that float in it. Your furnace filter’s job is to keep those contaminants out of your HVAC system, allowing it to function effectively. Read on to discover five reasons why it’s critical for your furnace in Tallahassee, FL, to have a clean filter this winter.

1. Reduced Heating Cost

A dirty furnace filter restricts the volume of air moving through your heating system. The less air it circulates, the longer it takes to heat your home, making your system consume more fuel and electricity. Keeping your filter clean is relatively inexpensive and is something most homeowners can do on their own.

2. Extended Furnace Life

Restricted airflow through your system traps heat in the system, causing it to overheat. It’s this overheating that starts dragging down your furnace’s service life.

The first place that experiences this overheating is your heat exchanger. This component carries the exhaust from the burn chamber to the exhaust vent. When it overheats, it stresses the metal construction, and there’s the risk of cracking the exchanger. Once the heat exchanger cracks, you will likely need to replace the entire unit.

3. Better Air Quality

A clean air filter allows your system to circulate more air during each heating cycle. The more air that moves through, the more contaminants it removes from what’s circulating throughout your house.

Better air quality means you’ll have less dust in your home and less cleaning to do. It also means there will be fewer contaminants to cause respiratory irritation, keeping the people in your home healthier. The more contaminants your filter removes, the longer your filter will last.

4. Less Furnace Wear and Tear

Restricted airflow adds strain to most of the system as it runs. When the heat cannot circulate effectively, it’ll trigger the heat sensors to turn off the system. The furnace will start back up once it cools down, trying to heat your home again.

The most strenuous part of your heating cycle is when it first starts up using the igniter and capacitor. All the additional starting and stopping makes these components wear out more quickly. This translates to more furnace repairs, some of which may require expensive after-hours visits. Simply keeping your filter clean helps reduce this added strain, extending the life of all system components.

5. A More Comfortable Home

Your system depends on a certain volume of air to come from your vents and be drawn into the system. This creates a pressure differential that causes the heat to circulate evenly through your home. With reduced airflow from dirty filters, you’ll have hot and cool areas due to lack of circulation.

Keeping your furnace filter clean is the first and easiest part of getting the most from your furnace in Tallahassee. Routine furnace maintenance is also necessary to deal with the small particles that get past your filter. Call today to schedule your furnace maintenance appointment with our experts at Payne’s Heating and Air.