When you turn on your furnace, you expect it to do more than produce hot air. You expect it to produce enough hot air to keep your home warm. If your furnace is producing some hot air, but not as much as it has in the past, the issue is likely a filter that needs to be changed.
Find Your Filter
First, you need to find where the filter is located on your furnace. On most furnaces, the filter is located near the intake part of your furnace. The intake area looks like a grate in appearance and is where air is pulled into your furnace.
If you are not sure where the filter is located, look at the user manual or look up the user manual for your furnace on the internet. You should be able to find the name and model number written somewhere around eye-height on the furnace.
Remove the Filter
Before you remove the filter, turn your furnace off. You don't want your furnace to be pulling in air when you are checking the filter. Plus, your furnace should not operate without a filter to protect it, even for a few minutes.
Once you know where the filter is located, pull it out. The filter may be dirty, so you should wear gloves, a breathing mask, and some eye protection. That way, you will not breathe in any dust, as you check the filter, and you will not get any dust in your eyes.
Once you take out the filter, hold the filter up and see if the light comes through the filter. If the light easily shines through the filter, the filter is likely not the culprit. If not that much light shines through the filter or if no light shines through, then the filter needs to be replaced.
Changing Out the Filter
Printed on the side of the filter should be information about the size and type of filter that you need. You can purchase a new filter for your furnace from a local home improvement store, from an heating contractor, and in many department stores with a home improvement or tools section.
Just pull out the old filter and slide the new filter into place. There are usually directional arrows on the filter so that you know which side should point upward.
After you install the new filter, turn your furnace on and give it some time to warm up. Your furnace should now be blowing out lots of hot air. If it isn't, contact your local HVAC specialist so that they can do more fined-tuned troubleshooting and repair work on your furnace.
Share1 July 2019
While sitting in my living room on a hot summer day, I could feel the heat coming through the ceiling out of my attic and making the house warm up more than it should. I crawled up into the attic one evening to find out that the roof vents weren't working any longer because they were clogged with all sorts of debris. Did you know that when this happens, your home's temperature can rise to very uncomfortable levels? Did you know that your home could actually be damaged if the attic isn't well vented? This blog will show you all about attic ventilation.