Home maintenace: furnace filter, part 1

Self-tutoring about home maintenance: the tutor mentions furnace filters.

This time last month, furnace issues might not have been at the front of one’s mind. The summer was generally hot, with humidex even higher. Yet now, two days before the start of fall, I can hear the furnace running.

About a month ago, anticipating the fall season, I was crawling around the furnace, checking it over. I decided the filter – a washable one – had served its time. Because it had been washed so many times, the printing on it was no longer legible; I had to measure its height, width, and thickness with a tape measure. Afterwards I re-installed it, then went out seeking a replacement.

Locally, I didn’t find any washable furnace filters, just disposable ones. It seems that, nowadays, the common idea is to replace one’s furnace filter every three months or so.

I bought a 4-pack – a year’s worth of filters, I suppose. Back at home, I replaced the old washable filter with one of those new ones.

In my experience, furnace filters have four measurements: height, width, thickness, and filtration rating. I plan to discuss the filtration ratings in another post.