Furnace filters are designed to clean the air that’s blown through your HVAC system, making your home more comfortable and your air conditioner or furnace last longer. A clogged filter can cause you to replace your system sooner, so it’s important to check the filter regularly and change it as necessary. Learn how often you should change your furnace filter by following these simple steps.
What is a Furnace Filter?
One of the most important things to maintain when it comes to your heating and cooling system is a clean filter. But how often should you change a furnace filter? HVAC experts at Valley Comfort Heating and Air, say that filters should be changed once every three months. However, some homeowners wait six months or even longer between changes. But what about those who are changing their air filters every month, are they overdoing it? Experts believe that it’s not a matter of how often you change your furnace filter but rather whether or not you’re changing them correctly.
When Should I Change My Furnace Filter?
According to experts, most homeowners should change their furnace filter once every three months. If you’re someone who takes special pride in keeping your house clean, you may want to look at changing it every two months. Of course, if allergies are a major concern for you or someone else living in your home, you’ll want to replace it much more frequently. There are a number of things that can trigger allergies, including dust mites and even pet dander. All of these particles can easily make their way into your HVAC system, which is why it’s so important to keep on top of regular changes. If any one particle happens to make its way into an air duct, it could spread throughout your entire home very quickly. In fact, many particles have been known to travel all over a neighborhood within 24 hours! We suggest giving our professionals a call if you have any questions about changing your filter or need assistance with anything HVAC-related; we’d be happy to help out with both!
Energy Saving Benefits of Changing the Filter
Not only will changing your furnace filter change its energy efficiency, but it can save you a lot of money in heating and cooling costs. Old filters can inhibit airflow, which means that your unit has to work harder to keep you warm or cool—meaning higher utility bills. For example, if you replace a year-old filter with a brand new one, it may be able to provide 30% more air flow. All other things being equal (your thermostat set at 70°F and no change in outside temperature), by increasing air flow by 30%, you could expect a corresponding 10% reduction in HVAC energy consumption! This alone might make changing your furnace filter pay for itself!
Depending on how often you change your filter, energy savings could easily add up to hundreds of dollars in a couple of years. Since furnace filters are pretty inexpensive and can last between three and six months, it’s an easy way to help reduce your energy costs! For more information about changing your furnace filter or other heating systems in your home, feel free to contact Valley Comfort Heating and Air. We provide full-service heating and air conditioning maintenance so you can be sure that you’re always getting great comfort from your unit!
Tips for Changing Your Furnace Filters
Regularly changing your filters is one of those maintenance tasks that, once you begin doing it, you’ll never have any regrets about. Filters clean indoor air by catching all kinds of dust and particles from your home before they can escape into the world at large. The better job your filter does at cleaning air, in fact, the less often you need to change it. Check out these tips on how often to change furnace filters for advice on finding a schedule that works for you and yours.
Here are a few of our top tips for changing your furnace filters:
Use a filter designed for your specific model of furnace: Some models may use three, four or more different types of filters, so be sure to check with a pro before choosing. What’s more, make sure to change them in accordance with manufacturer recommendations; frequently following company directions can help keep heating and cooling costs down. What’s more, it could prevent dirty air from infiltrating your home when you turn on your system next fall.
Choose Energy Star-certified filters: These filters are generally best at capturing dust and particulates that can wreak havoc on indoor air quality and health, although they’re not always available through traditional retail channels. They’re most often sold at box stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot or online from specialty providers . Check to see if your filter qualifies for a rebate in your area before you buy it. For example, Lowe’s offers a $10 gift card when you buy four qualifying filters online; Home Depot has similar offers for its own brand of Energy Star-rated filters.
Look for high FIVE filtration efficiency ratings : While you might assume all HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters will do a good job cleaning indoor air, that’s not true—not by a long shot. Look for specifications listed as FIVE filtration efficiency ratings (often abbreviated with an N symbol) to be sure you’ve got an efficient filter on hand.
Change them at least every three months : Some filters require more frequent changes than others, depending on how much indoor air they have to clean. If you have a lot of foot traffic and pets in your home, for example, you’ll want to look for an alternative filter that catches even more dust and other particulates; change it every month if possible. On the other hand, if your house is largely pet-free or people-free most of time, changing every six months or so should be fine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Changing Furnace Filters
The right filter can be a powerful thing. It keeps your HVAC system working at peak performance, and it protects your family from harmful allergens and irritants. One of our most commonly asked questions is how often should I change my furnace filter? Here are some of our most frequently asked questions, as well as a few things you may not have thought about.
What Are The Benefits of Using a High-Efficiency Furnace Filter?
There are many benefits to using a high-efficiency furnace filter. While efficiency is always nice, there are other benefits as well. Many filters can actually improve your home’s indoor air quality because they block allergens and irritants that would otherwise enter your system and pass into your home. Not only do they stop things like pollen, dust, dander, bacteria and pet hair from entering your home through your HVAC system but they also capture particles that you can’t see like mold spores, dirt and soot.
How Long Does a Furnace Filter Last?
There are several factors that affect how long your furnace filter will last, including whether or not you have pets and if you live in an area with lots of pollen or dust.
What Are The Signs that it’s Time to Change my Furnace Filter?
There are some common signs that it may be time to change your furnace filter. These include:
1. Noticeable decrease in heating or cooling capacity
2. Loudness of fan increases (filter is clogged) 3. Increase in your energy bill
4. Noticeable increase in dust and allergens entering your home
5. Replace filter light on unit comes on
How Do I Change My Furnace Filter?
Here are some steps to follow when changing your furnace filter:
1. Turn off power to HVAC system
2. Open access panel and locate filters
3. Remove old or clogged filters
4. Install new filter (Most kits come with step-by-step instructions for easy installation)
5. Close access panel
6. Turn power back on
7. Check filter periodically and change every 3 months (when to change furnace filter depends on manufacturer recommendations)