When Should I Change My Air Conditioner’s Air Filter at Home?

Occassionally we’re asked what is the best thing that the U.S. area homeowner’s can do to ensure efficient functionality of their air conditioning and heating system between their regular tune-ups? The answer is simple this; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter. Replacing furnace and return air filters is critical to the ideal operation of your HVAC system, in addition to your home’s air quality. Did you know indoor air pollution is in the top five environmental health risks? It’s not thought of often, but it is extremely important to consider. Changing the air filters is not difficult for most the U.S. homeowners, but there are typically two hurdles to actually completing this job:

1. 1. Understanding just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter.

2. 2. Remembering to change air filters when needed.

When To Change Your Air Filters

Most filters have a recommended guideline on the box or plastic. It may instruct “Lasts up to 3 months” or “Change filter every 90 days”. Look around at the store and you should see that some are engineered to only last one month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have created media air cleaners with filters meant to be changed once every 6-12 months. The industry standard seems to be once every three months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we suggest our customers to go by. If the filter is dirty, change it! A dirty air filter can exacerbate or cause damage to pricey equipment, like your compressor, so it’s best to change it out more often than neglect it. If you want to listen to the manufacturer’s recommended limit, we suggest scribbling the date on the filter when you swap it out, and programming a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar. Also note that your filter manufacturer might have a different recommendation from your HVAC system manufacturer.

Choosing how often to change your air filters relies upon several factors:

• • The type of air filter you are using

• • The overall air quality of your the U.S. area home

• • Pets – Birds, cats, dogs, hamsters (do you have one?), etc.

• • Number of people in the home

• • The level of air pollution and construction around the home

For the common 1″-3″ air filters, the OEM specs basically tell you to change them every 30-60 days, which is in fact a great rule of thumb. But general guidelines are not applicable to all. If you have to tolerate light to moderate allergies, you might require an upgraded air filter or change them even more often than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you’re in a remote area, own a seldom 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. Why should you factor in your pets? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter quick. Obviously, the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but exceptionally dirty filters can cause diminished HVAC performance.

In summary:

• • Seldom used home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months

• • Common suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days

• • Got a cat or dog: Change every 60 days

• • Several pets or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days

How To Remember To Change Your Air Conditioner’s Air Filters

It’s simple; sign up for the Service Experts Email Club. This is a convenient way to get money-saving discounts and other helpful information on your smartphone, tablet or desktop. Plus, your email subscription preferences let’s you set a reminder to change your the U.S. area home’s air filter every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or the date of your choosing.

How to replace your return air filter

Most of us know how to replace the air filter in their equipment, but some residences have another filter in the return ductwork. Whether you have one or not is dependent on the HVAC manufacturer’s recommendation. Your system is made to handle a certain amount of pressure in your home sweet home, and the more filters you have the fiercer the blower motor works, which can shorten the lifespan of your system if it isn’t designed for it. Discovering whether you have a return filter and replacing it is simple:

• • Find your return air vents.

• • Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to remove from the wall.

• • Inspect for a filter. If one is in place, pull it out and write down the size.

• • Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer.

• • If filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer’s recommended filter of the same size and type.

Amazing as it may seem, filters can dramatically alter your home’s airflow, which is why we recommend referring to the manufacturer. A higher quality HEPA filter that is designed to catch finer debris will restrict airflow more than a cheaper filter. With restricted airflow comes greater pressure on your system, so you ought to verify that your HVAC system was engineered to handle it. Otherwise, you could experience lowered heating and cooling efficiency in your home, and system parts may die off much faster than otherwise.