Heat Exchanger Tubes Cleaning Basics

Clean your heat exchanger tube is a job everyone can do if they know how to do it. If you are a handy type of person, then you should have no problems with this task.
There are several methods for cleaning the heat exchanger tubes. Here are some of them; one of them is the use of chemicals for cleaning. Another is the use of water with high pressure in the system. The final method is to use mechanical cleaning with brushes of balls scrapers and abrasives. These are the best ways to clean the tubes.

Regular cleaning of the heat exchanger tubes should be the life of the whole unit. It helps to work at the heat exchanger maximum efficiency.

Many people use heat exchangers for heating swimming pools in nowadays. With the ability to clean by its own, heat exchanger tubes would be a good way to save money and your operating system.

It would be helpful to the clean the tubes of the heat exchanger every few months. At least check to see if they need to be cleaned. If they do not need to be cleaned, make sure that they are thoroughly cleaned twice a year.

To properly clean the heat exchanger tubes, they must be removed from the system. Remove all in bulk, near the ends of the pipes and inside of them. Use a brush and press down to the tubes as cleaning begins. The brush should be good strong nylon bristles. This help to resolve and remove all the material such as scale and debris in the tubes.

During the brushing process you will find material adhered to the wall of the heat exchanger tube. A plastic of metal scraper, will help eliminate, those unwanted thing stuck to the tube wall. Be careful not to damage the tube. Don’t use anything that is harder than the tube.

Try not to scratch the wall of the heat exchanger tubes in which the tube could not work. This will scratch the tube internally. This means, a plastic scraper is a good tool to be used.

As a final step, of cleaning the heat exchanger tubes, you can use jets to force out all loosen particles, which have been missed with the previous methods. If you have deposits of calcium in the tubes then you need chemicals to eliminate them.
Now you have the basics for cleaning your exchanger tubes. Collect as much information as possible before you do this work.

Chemical Cleaning - Methods and Applications

Chemical cleaning is a method relevant in freeing walls and surfaces of various equipment, heat exchangers, pipelines, vessels and kettles from unwanted residues and bacterial contaminants. It is also essential in water purification, treatment, disinfection and conditioning. With varying methods to its name, several industries benefit from the procedure.

The most important facets of chemical cleaning gear on providing environment-friendly alternatives to consumers. No matter where it is applied, the aim is to primarily free the surface from contaminants. Below are the different methods listed under this cleaning process.

Chlorine dioxide method

Biofilms and legionella are two of the most common microbes that reside in water. Biofilms are residences or havens for organisms that contaminate products in water solutions. Legionnaires disease is caused by legionella or a Gram negative bacterium.

With the aid of chlorine dioxide, the biofilm or legionella may be removed from the water system. It is a favored technique because it has the capacity to prevent future formation of contaminants plus it can also be used in both hot and cold water systems. Chlorine is proven to have a safer solubility in water and has the capability to destroy THM precursors. It also increases coagulation while it destroys phenols. It is not hazardous to health and does not have any distinct smell.

Ultraviolet radiation

Another proven chemical cleaning process for water disinfection is the ultraviolet or UV radiation. Aside from water, it may also disinfect air and solid surfaces contaminated by microbes. Its capacity to disinfect was reported since biology and light waves were introduced in the fields of science research.

Ultraviolet radiation has several advantages. It is considered safe because there is no need to monitor any dangerous chemicals thus the results of disinfection are quickly attained. Any household or business establishment does not need to spend a lot since the initial system and operating costs are very minimal. It does not change the taste and smell of water as well plus they are easily installed and maintained.

Ozone purification

Ozone is one molecule that contains three atoms of oxygen and is naturally produced by a series of chemical reactions. It may come from the ultraviolet rays of the sun as well as from waterfalls and thunderstorms. It is also a chemical cleaning process used in wide areas of water treatment and purification. It is used in potable water treatments and in the broader municipal wastewater sites. It is also being widely recognized in several industries.

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Positive Effects of Air Duct Cleaning

As air indoor pollution becomes more of a hazard, the state of our indoor air quality is becoming more of a health concern. According to the American Lung Association, "Indoor Air Pollution is wide spread. You are more likely to get sick from pollution in your home and office than from pollution in the air outside. Poor indoor air quality can lead to a number of health problems such as respiratory illnesses. As well, microorganisms such as mold and bacteria can be harmful to one's health. One way of improving indoor air quality is to have your air ducts cleaned.

Duct cleaning consists of cleaning various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems such as air ducts and registers, grills and diffusers, heat exchangers, heating and cooling coils, drip pans, fan motor, and the air handling unit.

When you have yur ducts cleaned, you will experience the following effects:
Improved Heating and Cooling Systems: Your heating and cooling systems will run better and less often thereby improving energy efficiency. You will save money, conserve energy, and have a longer lasting system.

Dry Ducts: Moisture in ducts is a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi which can cause respiratory illnesses when inhaled. When your ducts are cleaned, organisms will be removed and the ducts will be clean and dry preventing further growth.

Eliminate Rodent Waste: If there are mice or rats running through the ducts, they will leave their waste in the ducts. Air blowing the droppings through the system can contaminate indoor air. This can lead to health problems if inhaled. Cleaning your air ducts will get rid of any rodent waste.

Eliminate Accumulated Debris: By having your ducts cleaned, you will eliminate the debris such as plaster and drywall particles, wood, dust, and insulation particles that may have accumulated in the ducts over many years. Dust mites and ants feed on debris found in air duct so you will remove the mites along with the debris. You and your family will breathe easier and feel less ill.

Better Health: Air circulation will be improved because you will have eliminated contaminants that have built up in the ducts. Symptoms of indoor air pollution include: allergies, illnesses, eye irritation, sinus congestion, headache, sore throat, nausea, cold and flu symptoms, asthma and increased asthma symptoms, diseases, fatigue, cough, congestion, tightness in chest, wheezing and hypersensitivity, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Removing dirt, dust, and contaminants will improve your overall health. The home will be cleaner and less dusty because there will no longer be any dust blowing into rooms. You will see a reduction in allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, and wheezing when you breathe. You will also be able to sleep better, concentrate better, and feel more awake and alert.

Improved Odor: When ducts accumulate material over a period of time, one may often start to detect an unpleasant odor. Clean ducts will help keep air fresh.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency EPA, -6 out of 10 homes are 'sick.' This means that -they are too hazardous to your health to occupy as a result of airborne contaminants. Because people spend the majority of their life indoors (60-90%), the air you breathe should be of the highest quality. There are many positive effects that clean indoor air provides. Duct cleaning technicians have the knowledge and experience to thoroughly clean ducts for both homes and businesses. Enlisting the services of a certified professional duct cleaning once or twice a year will greatly improve the health of families, pets, employees, clients, and customers.

Duct Cleaning Toronto Company servicing residential, commercial and industrial customers. Visit one of our locations at : duct cleaning Pickering

Cutting Edge Cleaning

A five day shut down had been planned at an oil refinery to accommodate traditional pressure jetting and chemical cleaning methods to clean four crude train heat exchangers. Tube Tech challenged this route using an alternative innovative method to overcome the main disadvantages: Difficult to clean with lengthy downtime leading to expensive lost production.

The company was able to clean each bundle in a few hours without chemicals or high pressure water jetting, while the other three exchangers were kept running to maintain continuity of production, effectively ‘flat lining’ the production output. The cleaning procedure delivered a substantial Kj/C-hr improvement on just one bundle compared to all four bundles previously cleaned with either of the traditional procedures.
Cleaning technology

There has been little change over the decades in the methods and equipment used to clean and de-scale heat exchangers and pipelines. The low-tech approach of high pressure water jetting has kept it as a low skilled job with largely unimpressive and variable results.

Despite being armed with demonstrable evidence of being able to achieve better results than traditional methods, the company has faced an up hill struggle to get its innovative techniques widely accepted. It has not been easy persuading potential clients to consider trialling new techniques designed to improve substantially on traditional water jetting methods.

There has even been outright skepticism that Tube Tech’s claims can be substantiated. Persistence and determination were needed to change the industry mind set regarding the effectiveness of current cleaning methods. Long-term maintenance contracts can also act as a barrier to an investigation of the company’s advances.

The historical reliance on low tech, low skill water jetting for pipe cleaning has meant that clients have accepted that this is the best that can be achieved. This meant that there was often no quantifiable data against which Tube Tech’s improved results could be measured.

Setting out to devise a more scientific approach to the whole cleaning and de-scaling process,

The company has created more than 40 innovative techniques. This has led to several ‘firsts’ in heat exchanger and pipeline cleaning processes. These developments include:

• The ability to clean exchangers in-situ where previously they were pulled.

• The ability to clean and unblock hairpin bends.

• Speed cleaning difficult bundles in hours instead of days.

• Online cleaning of difficult heat exchangers.

The introduction of more sophisticated technology enables the cleaning and de-scaling to be carried out faster so there is considerably less downtime, and potential mechanical damage to equipment is eliminated. Less waste, dry processes and the elimination of chemicals provides a safer and more environmentally acceptable process.

The company has also taken traditional pigging methods and tailored them to achieve much better results. Operating in a tube and pipe environment from 2mm to upwards of 1m, equipment is modified to suit the consistency of deposit and pipe configuration. A wider variety of deposits can be removed by an innovative drift system loaded into large diameter pipes through a very small aperture which then expands to suit the diameter. It also has the ability to return back down the same line without creating an expensive loop system.

Aluminum tubes

The scale which builds up in aluminum furfural exchangers is notorious for being highly tenacious. The accepted wisdom has been that due to their delicate nature, aluminum hairpin heat exchangers can only be cleaned using 200bar (3625 psi) bar water pressure.

This low-pressure approach only removes 20% of blockages and scale with the additional problem that it tends to compact coke deposits on the U bends rather than remove them. Working with clients sample tubes, Tube Tech’s research and development team devised a combined mechanical and water jet system which used 2500 bar ( 40,000psi) to remove coke deposits and improve overall cleanliness to 90%.

The three-stage process included a sensitive mechanical hairpin-cleaning device coupled with exceptionally low volumes of water. First, each tube was cleaned using the Softdrill™ lance made from ‘intelligent’ metals to prevent damage to the tube wall. These soften on entering the U-tube and stiffen on extraction, while an oscillating motion drills the blockage using a mixture of water and an occasional infusion of food grade media at 12 * the pressure and four times the speed of the conventional approach. Finally, a micro turbine rotating under controlled hydraulic pressure was guided through each tube.

Not only were the results substantially improved but also cleaning was carried out in-situ, reducing downtime by 200% and avoiding possible handling damage, the cost of cranage and bundle pulling equipment.

A U-bend first

The inability of traditional water jetting to remove hard coke and oily sludge in the U bends in heat exchangers in crude oil distillation complex has produced a 70% cleaning standard.

After analyzing the nature and composition of the deposit and its dimensions, the Tube Tech approach was used. The result was:

• 99% of contamination removed.

• Hairpins cleaned for the first time ever.

• Heat exchangers returned to virtually as new condition.

• Cleaning operation completed in three times faster than the standard pressure jetting times, down from six to two days.

• Greatly improved throughput.
In-situ cleaning

Solving problems related to specific equipment often enables the company to further improve on its initial performance. The cleaning process for an important tube bundle In a catalytic cracker was initially reduced from nine days to six but this first experience subsequently lowered the barriers further. A smaller sister unit was subsequently cleaning in three hours instead of three days.

For the first time the operation was carried out in-situ, using a new turbine method, incorporating a low-pressure water jetting system avoiding the cost and effort of removing 10t of exchanger gaskets, scaffolding or cranes. In-situ cleaning lengthens the life of the bundles, which deteriorate through damage caused when they are removed for cleaning.

Mike Watson, Managing and Technical Director

Run by its founder and inventive visionary Mike Watson the company is supported by a wealth of hand selected department managers. With many years experience in developing engineered solutions to complex problems in industry, Mike’s belief is that convention should always be challenged in order to find a better way to achieve improved results. This “never say never” approach, led to him founding Tube Tech in the 1980s. Today, the company cleans the toughest cleaning projects the world can throw at it. Mike often says “If people say it can’t be done, its like a red rag to a bull to me. I will always find a solution”. Mike continues to invest in new technology development, leading the world in new cleaning methodology.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Watson

How Often You Should Clean Your Ducts

Researchers are learning more about the quality of indoor air. They are discovering that air in our homes can often be filled with dust and pollutants. As more people learn that indoor air pollution is a health issue of growing concern, they are looking for ways to keep their air clean. One method of improving air quality is cleaning air ducts.

Duct cleaning consists of cleaning various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems such as air ducts and registers, grills and diffusers, heat exchangers, heating and cooling coils, drip pans, fan motor, and the air handling unit.

Air ducts are susceptible to the following hazards:

- Ducts can be infested with vermin such as rodents and insects. Contaminants from their droppings can be blown through the ducts into a home where they may be inhaled.
- When there is moisture, bacteria and fungi can grow in air ducts where microorganisms and spors can blow through the home.
- Dust, dirt, and oil particles can build up in the ducts and be sent through the home.

You should have your ducts cleaned for the following situations:

- If you have a problem with moisture in your ducts. If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
- If you are moving into a newly constructed house. There may be construction debris in the ducts such as drywall dust, fiberglass pieces, and sawdust.
- If you are having trouble with furnace airflow.
- If there is an accumulation of debris in the air registers. Pet dander can often build up in the registers.
- If you or a family member are sneezing a lot or you see particles blowing though your vents, it is time to get your ducts cleaned.
- If you place your hand over a duct vent and the air flow is not very strong. Cleaning the ducts may restore proper airflow.
- If you detect an odour coming from the vents when the air is turned on

By having your ducts cleaned, you will improve air quality and reduce the amount of pollen, allergens, mold, and fungi from infecting the air. Not only will air quality be improved, but family member who suffer from asthma will breathe better. People with asthma are extremely sensitive to dust and allergens in the air. Clean air ducts will reduce the chances of family members developing allergies. It will be a much healthier environment for children and pets. Duct cleaning will also reduce energy costs and make it easier to keep the house clean.

It is recommended that you have your ducts cleaned every two years. The best time to get your ducts cleaned is in the late summer or early fall. If you have family members that are afflicted with breathing problems, you may want to have your ducts cleaned every year. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people have their air ducts cleaned.

If you decide to have your ducts cleaned, it important to make sure you have a qualified service provider who cleans all of the components. If your ducts are not properly cleaned, there is an increased chance of recontamination. Service providers will use specialized tools to remove dirt and debris in ducts. They will then vacuum the ducts with a high-powered vacuum cleaner. Many companies are promoting their products and services as a means to improving the quality of your indoor air.

Preventing moisture, debris, and dirt from accumulating in your ducts is the best way to reduce the number of indoor air pollutants. By maintaining good quality air, you, your family, and pets will be healthier and breathe much easier.

Keeping your air ducts clean allows for a cleaner, healthier environment in residential and commercial structures. For quality air duct equipment and insulation blowing equipment, consider Heat Seal Equipment Ltd.

Keeping Cooling Towers and Heat Exchangers Clean

Filtration Systems Can Reduce Maintenance and Downtime.

To strike an interesting analogy, your cooling tower and heat exchanger is what the lungs and heart are to the human body; when either aren't working properly, it effects other parts of the body and your health suffers. Similarly, when your cooling tower and heat exchanger isn't clean, the heat exchange process doesn't work efficiently and the health of your production and process cooling system suffers.

Process cooling systems that rely on cooling towers to dissipate heat from process cooling water accomplish this by drawing massive volumes of air into the cooling tower as the water travels through the fill material on its way back to the basin. Through the natural evaporative process, heat is dissipated from the water before it reaches the water basin from which it is re-circulated through the chiller then through the heat exchanger and back again (kind of like when you sweat while working and letting the air evaporate the perspiration to cool you down). It is important to realize that cooling towers are gigantic air scrubbers that capture all airborne debris that happen to be floating nearby, and if your system doesn't have effective filtration, the debris can clog the fill and get circulated and trapped in the heat exchanger where it can build-up, restrict water flow and cause your process equipment to malfunction due to overheating.

An example of this is illustrated by a major automotive assembly facility that had faced periodic downtime due to their robotic welding systems not holding tolerances and causing quality problems. After the robotic technicians spent several days trying to initially solve the problem, one of the maintenance workers opened the heat exchanger and discovered that it was impacted with cottonwood seed, insects and other debris - flow had been reduced and the robotic equipment was running hot. Now you might be asking yourself, whey didn't they have some sort of filtration equipment? The answer is simple; at the time the facility was built, the ambient conditions in that area didn't require a filtration system. However, as the years went by and the area became more developed and cottonwood tree populations grew, the need eventually surfaced.

The interesting thing to note about this situation is that even though cleaning the heat exchanger got the robotic welding system back on-line and running at peak performance, it didn't solve the problem. In fact, cleaning heat exchangers is like taking a cold capsule to relieve the symptoms of a cold. Unless you treat the root cause of the problem, the cooling system will suffer time and again. The root cause in this case and in most heat exchanger fouling situations is the cooling tower - stop the debris from getting into the cooling tower and it will protect the entire process cooling system including fill, cooling water, chiller and heat exchanger. With the proper filtration technology, your process cooling system will stay clean and running efficiently all season long.

Selecting The Right Filtration System

It is important to realize that optimizing the ecology and operational efficiency of your evaporative cooling system is best accomplished by combining a chemical treatment regimen with some type of filtration. The reason is that chemical treatment specifically targets suspended solids and particulates of 40 microns and below, while filtration systems are designed to stop larger debris, especially the kind that causes system clogging and fouling.

For cooling tower filtration, there are two general technologies: Water Based Systems for which there are a few different variations and Air Intake Filtration Systems. With water-based systems, the choices include basic water strainers that remove debris by simply passing water through a mesh strainer; sand filtration systems that remove debris by passing the water through sand and centrifugal separators that spin the water and remove the debris through centrifugal action. In contrast, Air Intake Filter Systems remove the debris by filtering the air as it is being drawn into the cooling tower, keeping the debris out of the system in the first place. When considering your filtration options, the following questions should be asked.

• What is the cost associated with downtime due to heat exchanger or cooling tower fouling or clogging? (Knowing this will help you justify your filtration system cost)
• What type of debris is most problematic (can you see it or is it microscopic)?
• Specifically what part of the system does the filter protect?
• Which system provides the greatest filtration surface area (this can directly impact frequency of cleaning - the smaller the filter the more frequently it needs cleaning)
• Can the system be installed without shutting down the cooling tower? (If the cooling tower must be shut down for installation, you need to factor lost productivity into the cost of your filtration system if it's not being installed during shutdown periods.)
• What is the cost associated with both the filter and installation?
• How easy is the system to install and maintain?

Answering the above questions will help you to fully understand your options and to make the best choice for your operation.

In the case of the automotive manufacturer, the solution they selected was the Air Intake Filter system. The reason was that they needed a system that would protect their entire process cooling system including fill material, cooling water, chiller and heat exchanger. When they evaluated water-based systems, they discovered that the options provided varying degrees of protection for the chiller and heat exchanger but didn't protect the cooling tower where the root of their problem was. If they had selected a water-based system, their cooling tower would have still drawn airborne debris into both the fill and water where the water filter would have captured the debris before it circulated throughout the system. From a maintenance standpoint, that would have solved the heat exchanger problem but it would have done little to reduce maintenance on the cooling tower. Further, when they compared the cost of water based filtration versus air intake filtration technologies, Air Intake Filtration was found to be the more cost effective approach for their operation.

If you are not currently using a filtration system as part of your process cooling system, then any filtration technology will give you more protection than you have now, however, selecting a solution best suited to your operation requires that you know what kind of debris is the problem and where it is getting into the system. As a rule of thumb, " don't select a small debris solution to solve a large debris problem". Conversely, "don't select a large debris solution to solve a small debris problem". There is clearly a place for both water based filtration and air intake filtration - be sure you're selecting the right filtration for your specific need.

If you are looking to protect only your chiller and heat exchanger from airborne debris, then one of the water-based filtration technologies in combination with a good water treatment program can help you manage the debris that gets into the cooling water. If on the other hand, you're looking for full process cooling system protection, then you should look at Air Intake Filtration - It will stop the debris from getting into your system in the first place.

Air Solution Company developed and patented the first Air Intake Filter specifically engineered to mount to the outside of cooling towers and other HVAC equipment for purposes of stopping the debris before it entered into the system. Since that time, Air Solution Company has been manufacturing and has introduced a variety of other innovative filter systems including its new Fine Mesh Filter which is engineered for use on small and medium size refrigeration coils and machine fan intake housing units. Air Solution Company Randy Simmons is with Air Solution Company, author of articles can be reached at http://www.airsolutioncompany.com

Turbine Condenser Tube Cleaning

Keeping operating costs low is a vital factor in electricity generation. Turbine condensers need to be working at maximum efficiency to benefit not only the electricity producer but also the consumer. This was the case at the EON UK's Connah's Quay Power Station in Flintshire, Wales where optimum performance needed to be maintained. That's why they regularly cleaned their turbine tubes to ensure optimum process.

The Basics of Exchanger Tube Cleaning

Tube cleaning is not a particularly popular subject. However, there are people who are looking for this type of specific information. Let us begin with some basics of this process. In order for heat exchangers to function, properly all of the tubes must be clean and free of any debris. This is why it is very important to keep the tubes clean at all times.

If any formation of debris or algae growth forms then the flow of any coolant and heat exchange through the tubes will be reduced. If tube cleaning is not done on a regular basis then it could lead to over heating and failure in the engines or in the plant itself. Simply put, it would be costly!

Now what causes the tubes to become dirty? One of the leading causes is dirty water and algae growth. You just cannot ignore your heat exchanger tubes. In order to avoid any issues with the tubes, it is essential that qualified individuals perform regular inspection of your heat exchangers. Preventive maintenance is better than un-planned shutdowns.

One particular type of cleaning unit follows these basic steps. The heat exchanger tubing cleaning consists of flushing water through the shaft to help remove any deposits inside the tube. A forward direction foot switch allows the operator to focus on the cleaning. It features large wheels for easy mobility. The amount of water used in the process can be controlled as well.

An electric tube cleaning device is environmentally friendly. In addition, they are compact and are easily movable. They have the ability to clean either a straight or a curved tube. A cleaning tool is attached to a flexible shaft and then inserted into the tube to be cleaned. This cleaning tool uses a rotary motion to clean the insides of the tube. Water is also passed through the shaft to help with the cleaning and flushing out of debris.

For more information on tube cleaning please, visit my website today!

Your guide to everything you have ever wanted to know about exchanger tube cleaning and water chillers. We also provide information on various types and brands of heat exchangers. Visit our site today! http://www.theheatexchangers.com
ByM. Applebaum

Dirty Furnace Filters Can Be Deadly

What do you assume is the result if you neglect to keep your furnace filter clean? Do you think that your furnace will be able to run forever without problems using the same dirty filter year after year? What do you think will happen when your filter becomes over saturated by dirt, pet hair, allergens and dust? You are looking at more than the fan simply refusing to run properly. A dirty filter in your furnace can be deadly, make you sick or worse, causing your home to go up in flames.

When either your furnace or air conditioning unit are not being maintained properly every six months or every year, dirt, dust and other debris can build up inside causing serious problems in the long run. Not only will you be paying more for heating if your heating unit has to struggle harder to heat the same amount of space but also run the risk of some pretty serious dangers are also involved with not properly responding to a dirty furnace filter. When your furnace and the motor in your air conditioner become clogged by dirt and debris, that air is what will be circulating through your home, rather than the clean, fresh air that you once enjoyed. Your family will be breathing in all these toxins that otherwise would have been sucked out of the air by a clean or new filter. If you continue to breathe this bad air, there is the possibility you will become sick. So if your family is sick and the cause cannot be found, it might be time to replace your filters and to restore the clear air in your home.

After a few years worth of neglecting your furnace serious things can possibly happen. Your furnace may simply break down and you will be lucky if you could find a cheap replacement part. If your heat exchanger becomes warped or cracked from the unbearable heat build up within your furnace, noxious carbon monoxide fumes may leak into your home, not only making you sick but also potentially killing you and your entire family. Can you imagine all of this, simply because you could not be bothered to maintain your furnace filter?

Faulty furnaces have also been known to cause fires, all because the filter wasn't clean, and air couldn't circulate properly through the furnace and throughout your home. Clean up after a fire is incredibly expensive, and there is no telling what damage you may in the process. What if your entire house goes up in flames? What is a pet, or a family member is trapped inside when it happens? Hopefully now changing out your furnace filters or buying filters that are permanent and only need to be cleaned seems like less of a trivial matter. You can save yourself a lot of stress, a lot of health problems and a whole lot of financial burden simply by keeping your filters clean, or replacing them often. If there is any doubt, you can always contact a contractor who can check your furnace and clean your filters if need be.

With so many reasons to keep up on your furnace maintenance, and no known reasons for why not to, you should take the next few moments to check out the state of your furnace filter to make sure that air is circulating properly through your home, that your heat exchanger is still in one healthy, solid piece, and that there is no risk or danger present that you could easily have avoided.

Bill Whitworth writes air quality articles for Web Products, Inc., the Internet's premier supplier of furnace filters, air filters, replacement filters, and custom filters.