An Old Air Filter Could Be The Reason Your Furnace Isn’t Working

On a recent chilly morning in central Iowa, our first four service calls were for homeowners who thought their furnaces had stopped working—only to find the culprit was a clogged or outdated filter. A simple $5–$8 filter, like the one our general manager recommends, is far cheaper than a service call.

So, take this as your reminder—change your filter monthly! And if your HVAC system still isn’t keeping up, there are a few other quick checks you can do before calling for service.

So today we're talking about how you as a homeowner can keep your furnace going yourselves without having to call somebody. The number one biggest thing is changing your filter regularly and your filter selection.

I know there are a lot of options out there when you go to the big box stores—Walmart, Menards, things like that.

Anything that says high allergen, pet dander, pet odor reduction—those are good quality filters. However, they are very thick, and it does not take long for them to plug up in your house.

My suggestion is to still use a pleated filter but buy a cheaper version that's $5 to $8 apiece and change it monthly. That is the biggest thing that we see.

Outside of that, there isn't a lot that you as a homeowner can do to repair your system. But there are a few things you can check before you call.

Check your filter. Maybe there is a switch on the side of your furnace—sometimes that gets knocked off. Make sure that’s on.

Also, if your thermostat has batteries, change them to ensure everything is working properly.

If you check those boxes and it's still not working, give us a call. We can come out, take a look at it, and get you fixed up.