Occasionally we’ll get a phone call from someone who has recently purchased a new home or an existing customer who has moved. Their number one question is usually “where is my filter?!” On rare occasions, our service technicians will be out on a repair call and the homeowner says “I didn’t know there was a filter!” (no judgement here, promise!)
Since we are in the throws of heating season now, it seemed like a good time to go over the ins and outs of filter replacement. If you have a clogged filter, it could cause your furnace to shut down. And you know that most likely is going to happen when you have company over for the holidays. So let’s dive into it before it becomes a bigger problem.
The most common locations of a central heating and cooling system filter will be:
CEILING MOUNTED
If your filter is in the ceiling you will have a large metal intake grille with a filter behind it. You can look directly into the grate or grille to see if there is a filter present. If you just see metal, it is likely in a different location)
A ceiling filter grille is typically hinged on one side and has two knobs or latches on the opposite side. If it has screws – this may be a sign that your filter is not located here. If it has screws and the filter is located here, reach out to us, we may have a solution to make it easier to change your filter!
A quick tip for changing your filter in the ceiling: if you turn the thermostat fan setting to “on” it will suck the new filter into place while you swing the metal grate back closed. Making it a bit easier to manage.
WALL MOUNT
Typically these filters will be located down low on a wall when you have a furnace in a closet or garage. They should be hinged on one end and knobs or latches on the opposite side. If they have screws, feel free to call us for a simpler solution that may be available.
INSIDE THE SYSTEM
If your air handler is in a closet or garage and easily accessible, a filter inside the unit may be used. In most instances the front of the unit has knobs that easily unlock a portion of the front panel and make it easy to access the filter for replacement. In this situation, there are metal tracks at the bottom or side of the compartment where you can slide a filter in and out.
ATTACHED TO OUTSIDE OF FURNACE OR AIR HANDLER
This is where you would have an air cleaner cabinet or “easy filter box” attached to the blower portion of your central heating and air system.
The easy filter boxes are great because they are independent of the furnace and you can easily open the door to slide a filter in and out of the box.
An air cleaner or pleated filter cabinet is even better. They typically are lower maintenance and filter out more particulates out of the air.
Things to keep in mind:
– Filter size is very important! You never want to have a filter that is under or oversized even a little bit. Gaps or bends in the filter can cause air to pull right around the filter and into the system.
– Don’t double filter! Wherever you have your filter, that is where it was designed to be located in your particular system. Never add an additional filter somewhere else in the line of air flow thinking that will add extra filtration. It doesn’t and can actually harm your system by causing it to work harder to pull the air through too many filters.
Here at Perfection Home Systems, we know that you have many companies to choose from with your heating and cooling needs. Thank you to those that choose to support your small family owned businesses here in the Sacramento area. Please don’t hesitate to reach out by phone at 916-481-0658 or email us here if you need help going over a system that is new to you, or to schedule a tune-up on your gas furnace/ heat pump system.