[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Dirty Air Filter

Dirty vs Clean

A frequent question that is – What can I do to maintain my air conditioning and heating system between my seasonal Maintenance visit? Our answer is; remember to change the air conditioning and heating air filter. Changing furnace and return air filters is critical to the proper performance of your HVAC system, not to mention your home’s air quality. It has been reported that indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental health risks. We know it’s the last thing on your mind, but this is really important stuff. Changing the air filters is not all that hard for most customers. There are only 2 simple task to change a air filter which are:

Knowing just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter.
Remembering to change air filters when needed.

When To Change Your Air Filters

You should change the air filters when they are dirty. A quick monthly inspection is all that is needed. There are several factors that helps determine how often you should change your air filters. Which are:

  • Type of filter your HVAC system requires
  • The overall air quality around and in your home
  • Pets – Cats, Birds, Dogs, Hamsters, etc.
  • Number of occupants living in the house
  • General air pollution in your city and/or construction taking place nearby

For your typical 1″- 3″ air filters, the manufacturer specs basically say to change them every 3 months, which is in fact a great rule of thumb. However, general guidelines are not applicable to all. If you have to tolerate light to moderate allergies, you may need to upgrade the air filter or change them even more regularly than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you’re in a remote area, own a infrequently occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area where there are fewer cars around, replacing your air filters each year may be quite sufficient. If there are pets in the home you should remember they have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter faster. Clearly, the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but tremendously dirty filters can cause weak HVAC performance.

How To Remember To Change Air Filters

There are several ways to remember when to change your air filter. The best and easiest way is to pick a day each month to check it. (example – on the first day of each month) If you have trouble remembering you can always set a monthly reminder on your smart phone or use Google Calendar to send you an email reminder. It doesn’t matter how you remember as long as you remember.

In summary:

It is best to check your air filter monthly however once you learn norm of your system you may be able to change less frequent.

Seldom used home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months
Typical suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days
Add a dog or cat: Change every 60 days
Multiple pets or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]