Your Minneapolis furnace goes through a lot of filters in its lifetime. Manufacturer instructions often instruct homeowners to replace their filter once a month to once every three months. This means one household uses anywhere from four to twelve filters a year to maintain a healthy home and furnace. It might seem wasteful, but it is for the protection of your family and the maintenance of your furnace. While there isn’t much you can do, we want to help you help the environment as well as keep you and your family comfortable.
Washable filters
Furnace filters trap many allergens, dust particles, and some potentially hazardous materials. However, there are specific filters designed to be cleaned and reused. Washable filters, or permanent reusable filters, are initially more expensive, but they are great for being environmentally friendly. The instructions for washing and maintaining it come on the instructions and should be strictly followed for your health.
Disposable filters
Disposable filters should not be washed because they were not made to be. Washing disposable filters could lead to many potential problems. Disposable filters are made with softer materials that soak in water and other things that collect in your air ducts. If you wash disposable air filters, this could lead to more problems for your furnace, such as lack of efficiency, lack of filter integrity, and encouraged mold growth in your furnace. Disposable filters should be thrown away after using.
Recycle or garbage
Because of allergens, dust, and other materials that your furnace filter catches, they cannot be recycled in your recycling bin. Most filters are also made with fiberglass and other non-recyclable materials. While disposing of your air filter, keep in mind that different cities have different guidelines for disposing of your furnace filter. Be sure to check with your city guidelines before throwing away your furnace filter. In Minneapolis, furnace filters can be thrown in your home’s garbage bin. There are some HVAC manufacturers and air filter providers that take in old air filters by mail-in, so be sure to check them out for a positive impact on the environment. Places like Filta-Tec and TerraCycle specialize in recycling your air filters.
If you need a check on your furnace or are interested in a washable filter, feel free to contact us! All of us at Twin City Heating and Air want the best for you and your family with your HVAC needs. Stay warm and healthy this winter with a furnace tune-up or check out our air conditioner tune-ups for the spring.
