As we’ve discussed here on the Best Buy Heating and Air blog, one of the easiest and most effective DIY maintenance tasks you can perform for your HVAC system is replacing the air filters for your air conditioning system and your furnace.
Doing so has so many benefits, not the least of which are (sometimes vastly) improved energy savings—you’ll also increase the lifespan of your HVAC system by ensuring that it won’t have to work any harder than it absolutely must. You’ll also increase the level of comfort experienced in your living areas, reduce airborne allergens, and enjoy better air balance.
In today’s post, we’ll be covering how you can easily replace the air filters for both your air conditioning system and your furnace. We’ll also take a look at a couple of other easy preventative maintenance tasks you can perform on your own and compare this to when it really might be time to call a professional (like us!).
So put your DIY hat on and let’s get started:
How to Replace the Air Filter for Your Air Conditioner
Replacing your air filter is a great way to make sure that you don’t have to replace your air conditioner any sooner than is absolutely necessary.
The first step is to locate your air filter. Usually, this is pretty simple—it’s probably in the return air duct, which is the duct that pulls air from your home back into the air conditioning system. You may need to remove the duct cover. If you have a replacement filter with you already, compare it with the filter that you found. The sizes should match more or less exactly.
Remove the old filter. It can help to keep a large trash bag nearby to place it in, especially if it’s fairly dirty, as this will avoid getting debris in the air or your floor. Place the new filter into the slot where the old one rested.
How to Replace the Air Filter for Your Furnace
Once you know how to do it, replacing your furnace air filter should only take a few minutes of effort. What you’re going to want to look for is called the filter compartment—this is a duct usually found near the furnace that’s connected to the return air duct. It may be covered by a metal housing, which you might have to remove with a screwdriver (Phillips head, most likely).
The filter inside might be larger than you expect, but won’t weigh much. Slide it out and safely dispose of it in a large trash bag, just like you did above with your air conditioning filter. Then simply slide the new filter into place. Be sure to look out for the arrows on the new filter that indicate the direction it should be put in. Replace the compartment door securely, and you’re all done.
Other Easy DIY HVAC Maintenance Tips for Homeowners
There are plenty of things you can do on your own to maintain your HVAC system year round. Get started with any of these posts from the blog:
- HVAC Tips & Energy Saving Tricks for New Homeowners in Colorado
- Mythbusting: Why You Should Never Cover Your Roof Vents During Winter
- 7 Easy Ways Northern Colorado Residents Are Lowering Their Air Conditioning Bill This Summer
Not only will you learn how to maintain your system by yourself, you’ll also pick up a bunch of great energy saving tips that will help to lower your bills!
Is it Time to Call a Professional?
We recommend taking a look at our post Summer HVAC Prep: When to DIY and When to Hire a Pro. In it, we discuss some of the specific reasons you might want to hire a professional whether it’s summer or any other time of year—there are certain things that, unless you have training with HVAC systems, are just not the best idea for the average homeowner to tackle by themselves. These are things that could damage your system or even be dangerous.
We want our customers to be well educated and have HVAC systems that are reliable year round, so we don’t mind sharing this kind of information. So what about the rest? We also discuss a lot of the things you can more than likely successfully DIY.
Learn More About How to Save Money & Time With Best Buy Heating & Air
If you’d like to learn more about how our team at Best Buy Heating and Air can help you maintain your HVAC system for long-lasting operation and more energy savings than you might expect, please feel free to contact us. If you’re ready for us to come out to your Colorado residence or business, we encourage you to use our easy online service request form.