No Problem Heating and Cooling
How often do you change the air filter in your home?
Temperatures are warming, which means it is time for us to rely on our Cooling system to keep us comfortable during the spring and summer months. During the warm months, your system is working its hardest to keep you at a stable temperature. So the question becomes how often should I change my furnace filter?
It is very important to check and change your filters regularly. It will keep the air clean and safe. Depending on the kind of filter you use and other factors can determine how clean the air can get. Most of the time it is recommended changing the filter on the system every three months. If you recently built a new house, it might be a good idea to change the filter every month. That depends on if construction is still going on around the house.
How to Change a Furnace Filter
Things to consider when changing your HVAC filter
Do you have pets? Pet dander can speed up how often you need to change the filter. Pets come in and out of the house all day long. This is a very important reason to have a great filter to catch that funk throughout the day. Not only can it cause clogs in your filter but it can cause your air ducts to slow down as well. Pet dander over time can get very thick. We love our pets and their health is very important to us.
Do you smoke? Does someone smoke that lives in the house? Smoking can be another reason to change the filter quite often. Some can clog up a filter just as fast as anything can. The Air Sponge Filter Company has a wonderful video on this. Please check it out.
Size of the filter- I know this sounds silly, but if your system calls for a 20x25x1, you need to get that exact size. Having the wrong size can cause your system to run inefficiently.
What kind of filter should I use? Choosing a filter is an important question. Normally standard fiberglass should be changed monthly I would stay away from these. An expensive allergen filter sounds great. I know you want to block the world out from breathing it in. The thing is we cannot. A filter can be too restrictive, this can cause your system to run harder, and longer this will only cause you more problems in the end. Depending on the quality of air in the house. Using a permanent washable filter needs to be cleaned meticulously and fully dried once a month?
What is the big deal can’t I just keep the same furnace filter? Do I really have to change it? People do not take this important question seriously. Remember that filter is what stands between you and toxic air. It is an important factor in the quality of air and how well the furnace operates. Day in and day out that filter is catching things that can be harmful to breath in. Over time that filter will be clogged up with toxins. This can restrict the airflow to your system and cause it to run longer and harder. This will cause rising in your monthly billing and Costly repairs long term.
Factors that can affect your HVAC filter lifespan.
If you live in an area where you hardly need to use your air conditioner then you might get through an entire season on one filter. if you are running your system non-stop it is good to constantly check it. If you are living in a new subdivision and you see dirt flying around daily then you can almost be positive knowing that your system is breathing in that same air.
Your home size can have a lot to do with your air filter. If you live in a home under 1000 sq ft then you might not need to change it as often. the reason is your system will not have to work as much to keep your home at your desired temp. It might run only part of the day. This means you can get away with fewer changes. Living in a larger home means more air to clean and circulate, you will need to watch your filter a lot more.
The quality of air in your home will be a major factor. Remember if you have someone in your home with health issues, change your filter monthly.
Should I change my HVAC Filter
Even if you use it once a year it will still have some buildup of dirt that got trapped in your filter. If you pull out your filter and it is still clean and still white you should be good to go. If it is grey and dirty then we would recommend changing it. There is no guideline for this because of the different climates that we live in.
you should also be changing the air filter on your air conditioner just because it is an easy way to prevent repairs. When your filter is dirty it will cause that system to runway harder than it should. We don’t want that because then we are making the system do something that it isn’t designed to do.
Do you have to turn off the furnace to change a filter
It is always a good idea to turn it off. this will make it easier for you to work on it. That is up to you. When you change the filter it is a good idea to look around and see if you can clean anything.
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