Here's How Often You Need to Change Your Air Filters

The air filters in your home are meant to capture dust, mold spores, pet dander, pollen, and other types of debris. They keep your air clean so that you can breathe freely. As filters do their job, they do slowly become caked with dust and grime. So, you need to change your air filter often to improve indoor air quality and to keep your HVAC system running efficiently. But how often does your air filter really need to be changed?

A good rough guideline is to change your filter every one to three months. Here are some factors heating and AC installation contractors consider in order to make more specific recommendations.

What Kind Of Filters Do You Use?

Basic, 1″ fiberglass filters really need to be changed every 30 days, in most cases. These filters do a decent job of catching larger particles, but they do become clogged and blocked rather quickly.

Pleated cotton filters last a little longer — at least 2 months, and up to 6 months in some cases. One pleated filter costs more than one fiberglass filter, but since pleated cotton filters last longer, they’re often the most affordable choice long-term.

Do You Have Pets?

Households with pets need to change their air filters more often than those without pets. Cats and dogs, especially, tend to shed a lot of hair and dander that get caught in air filters. With pets, you really want a high-quality, pleated filter. Heating and air service repair contractors generally recommend replacing it every 60 days.

Do Family Members Have Allergies?

People with allergies are more sensitive to small amounts of pollen, dander, and other substances that start to linger in the air once the filter fills up. Allergy sufferers really should invest in pleated filters and change them every 60 days, especially during allergy season.

How Many People Live In Your Home?

The more people who live in your home, the more particulate matter will be in your air. More people means more dust! If you have just one or two people living in a large single-family home, you can go a bit longer between air filter changes. Waiting 3 to 4 months is often fine if you have pleated filters, no allergies, and no pets.

If you have a larger family living in a home, then you may need to change your filter every 60 days, even if allergies and pets are not factors. Doing so helps keep your home from getting too dusty.

Changing your air filter more often will help improve your indoor air quality and ward off allergy symptoms. Plus, residential HVAC contractors find that it reduces the need for repairs over time. Stock up on filters now so you always have some extras on-hand. And don’t hesitate to contact H & H Heating & Air Conditioning if you’re looking for a heat repair company to service your system.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/blog/heres-how-often-you-need-to-change-your-air-filters/