Residents are discovering black, sooty air filters in their homes and a local air system company said it's likely a result of the smokey air conditions from the nearby wildfires. Micheal Longman said he changed his family's furnace filter just a few weeks ago, and when he took it out what he saw was unlike any thing he had seen before. "Really black. Sort of like, not necessarily sticky, but you know when you smoke a cigarette ... you see that tar-y filter? It's the same sort of thing," Longman said. Previously he said he's never detected any discolouration of the white filter. "It's been crystal clear, it's been white. There have been a few little dust bunnies," he said. "It's only now that since the smoke has happened that we've had to keep an eye on it because it's gotten bad, it's gotten really bad. We're obviously worried about our little one." "We've lived in this house for two years now and I've changed the filter every two to three months and it's never been like that.” Longman said during the hot weather they've had the windows open but now might aim to be more cautious. "We've actually noticed a big difference since we've changed the filter and kept all the windows closed," he said. Amy Dodd has experienced a similar scenario. Dodd also lives in a newly built home in a community still under construction. "It was recommended that we change our filter at least every three months. Our filter wasn’t due to be replaced for another two weeks, but we run the fan every day and I noticed that it was getting louder," Dodd said. "I pulled the old filter out and it was dark brown. Normally, when I pull out an old filter, it’s white, with some dog hair and dust on it. I grabbed a new one and put them side by side. The colour difference was shocking. The old filter was only about two months old." Dodd said she even noticed the air quality in her home impact her health. "I actually started to get a sore throat about two weeks ago and since I changed the filter, it’s gone," she said. "So gross." Jeff love, a technician with Diamond Willow Heating and Air, said the filter discolouration is likely caused by the smokey conditions from the wildfires in Alberta and B.C. "I'm seeing on a lot of our service calls, we're pulling out the air filters and they have changed them – literally only changed them in the last couple of weeks – and the filter is heavily discoloured. They're turning black, they're getting dirty," Love said. He added that running the furnace fan during the summer also increases the particles building up in the filter. "With the smokey conditions, a lot of people have been staying indoors, running they're furnace fan a lot, so changing them, popping a new one even after a couple of weeks can provide you with a fair bit of benefit for both the furnace and the indoor air quality," Love explained. "A lot of people run their furnace fan continuous. So it's running 24 hours a day and if that's the case it should probably be changed on a monthly basis." Love recommended that those changing their filters should consider buying filters with a MERV (minimal efficiency reporting value) between eight and 11. Problems beyond health impacts, clogged filters could also increase your energy bill and potentially create a malfunction in the furnace. "When in doubt, change your filter," Love said. "There's nothing but benefits from having a clean air filter."
