What Type of Furnace Filters Should I Use For My Home?

I commonly hear parents coming along on home inspections, tell their children that they should be getting the air filter for their furnace that catches everything! Well, unfortunately for them, but fortunately for the Buyer, the parents are wrong.

HVAC professionals will recommend the cheapest, simplest filters you can find.  The recommendation comes for a few reasons.

1) The upfront cost. Unless you have extreme allergies in the home, changing the simple filters a little more often will give you the same protection while costing much less than changing complex filters a couple times a year. Even mild to moderate allergy sufferers will be comfortable with the simple filters.

2) Complex filters work your furnace harder, shortening the life of the furnace in the long run. It is much harder to draw air through even the clean, complex filters thus, shortening the life of the furnace.

3) It takes longer to heat or cool the home, depending on the season. Due to the fact it is harder to draw the air through a complex filter, it in turn takes longer to move the air that is heated or cooled through the home. The more complex the filter is, the more gas and electricity you waste heating and cooling the home.

As a homeowner, you have much better ways to spend your money! Probably more fun than a furnace filter too! Go cheap, simple and change them more often and both you and your furnace will be better off in the long run!