If you have forced air heat...

[unclecritic]

And your having problems, before you call the service guy, please check your filter. After reading what seems like a million posts, im sure your all detail oriented enough to know that filters need to be changed.

I've been on 3 service calls in the last 2 days that could have been avoided by just changing the filter. One lady who had been living in her house for 6 years after her husband passed away replied "what filter?"

I felt really bad about having to charge her $95 to change a 50 cent filter so I sold her a checkup and tune up instead... she still spent $100 but I was there for an hour and replaced a part that needed it.

Last week I was on a call that the filter was so clogged that it actually tore and was pulled into blower wheel. The furnace was jumping all over the floor they said. LOL

So thats my rant. A/C season is coming up too (for some of you it probably already started). Filters are REALLY important.

I'm done now... carry on with your day

[BobSch]

That's a great reminder. I've got a note on our caledar to clean our electrostatic filter the first of each month.

[crokett]

Reminds me to go check mine. Prolly needs changing. I will do that tonight.

[cgallery]

I called out a guy once because my filter was plugged. In my defense, it was a prefilter on my electronic air cleaner and I didn't even know it was there! I had been religiously cleaning the larger filter but eventually the furnace wouldn't click on.

[Tom Slick]

just to add on to that, a clean filter helps to keep the rest of the system clean. it is the only line of defense keeping stuff from building up inside your furnace. it will help to keep service guys like unclecritic away.

[Knottscott]

So you're saying that ~ 6 years is the limit for furnace filters?

[unclecritic]

The only thing better than the 6 year filter is finding there hasnt been one at all.

I was looking for a pic I took of an air conditioning coil that was completely plugged from last year but I cant find it.

[Greg.B]

Any advice for those of us who have one of those "block" filters that cost $30. It seems a bit much to pay for the useful life of it. I try to change mine 1x a year.

[unclecritic]

A few options.. just put 3 or 4 of the cheap 50 cent filters in there.. my personal filter is a 4" media filter (16x25x4) that only has 1 16x25x1...

I've heard a rumor that the BORG can order you a case at a time (10 filters I think) of the thicker filters for like $40. I havent actually checked into that.

To get you by you can shop vac out your current filter from the intake side (the side opposite the furnace)

And stay away from the super duper hypo alergenetic filter by like 3m... they are really expensive and after about 4 days they act like any other filter.