HVAC guy told me my "maintenance" was making things worse

My furnace started acting up last month, so I called a tech out. He spent 20 minutes looking at it and said I made it worse by changing the filter too often. Apparently swapping it every 2 weeks actually stressed the blower motor. I just followed what my dad did for years. Has anyone else gotten conflicting advice on simple maintenance stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_wilson26d ago

My dad was the same way with his truck, changed the oil every 1,500 miles for 40 years. I think a lot of this comes from a general mindset that "more maintenance must be better" and we don't realize stuff can actually have a sweet spot. @sagew50 nailed it, the 30-60 day thing makes way more sense, it's like overwatering a plant.

sagew5027d ago

I've seen this exact thing happen to a buddy of mine with his Lennox unit. He was changing the filter every 2 weeks too, and his blower motor burned out after 2 years. The real issue is those cheap fiberglass filters let a lot of dust through but still block enough air to strain the motor when they get dirty fast. Most residential furnaces are designed for a MERV 8 filter changed every 30-60 days, not every 2 weeks. If you really want to swap that often, go with a higher MERV rating like 11, but honestly just stick to the monthly schedule with a decent filter and you'll be fine.