It’s been cold over the last few months and I’ve been thinking about heaters. During this time of year, my baseboard heaters have been working hard.
With my heaters cranked to high, I opened up Avista’s website this week to find new ways to make my old house more energy efficient. I watched this Avista video, that shows how to replace furnace filters.
Dirty filters force your furnace to work a lot harder—like all major appliances, the harder they work, the more energy they use.
I thought changing the filters would be a good project to tackle, but since I have baseboard heat my sisters house came to mind because she has a furnace that has a filter.
My sister’s home was also built in 1910, she has made various improvements to it in the years she’s owned it. In 2007, she put a natural gas furnace in her basement.
I drove over there the other day armed with some furnace filters. They are as inexpensive as $4 for two at the hardware store. Her husband and I took them downstairs and turned off the power to the furnace. We opened the compartment, slid out the old one and slid in the new. He put the cover back on and that was it. The only tool we needed to finish this project was the little one he used to open the cover.
Most furnace manufacturers recommend filter replacements every 3 months, or sooner. Avista has a great solution to help you remember to change your furnace filter, they will send you a reminder when it’s time to change the filter in your furnace. It’s easy and can even save you unnecessary expenses that restricted air flow places on your furnace. You can sign up at myavista.com/changemyfilter.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.