Every once in a while聽we’re asked what is the聽most important聽thing that聽the U.S.聽area homeowner’s can do to聽secure聽their air conditioning and heating system between their聽seasonal聽tune-ups?聽Our advice is simple; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter.聽Replacing聽furnace and return air filters is聽extremely important聽to the聽effectiveness聽of your HVAC system,聽plus聽your home’s air quality.聽Did you know聽indoor air pollution is聽one of聽the top five environmental health risks?聽It's not thought of often, but it is extremely important to consider. Changing the air filters is not聽difficult聽for most聽the U.S.聽homeowners, but there are聽usually聽two聽obstacles聽to actually聽completing this job:

Understanding聽just how often to聽swap out聽your furnace or air conditioner filter.
Replacing them at the proper time.

When To Change Your Air Filters

Most filters have a on the聽packaging. It may聽say聽“Lasts up to 3 months” or “Change filter every 90 days”.聽Pay attention聽at the store and聽you'll notice聽that some are聽meant聽to only last聽a single聽month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have聽created聽media air cleaners with filters meant to be聽swapped聽once every 6-12 months. The聽industry standard聽seems to be once every聽3聽months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we聽tell聽our聽friends, and family聽to go by. If聽it's dirty, change it! A dirty air filter can聽exacerbate聽or cause damage to聽pricey聽parts, like your compressor, so it’s聽best聽to change it out more often than聽to let it go. If you want to聽follow聽the manufacturer’s recommended limit, we suggest聽writing聽the date on the filter when you swap it out, and聽setting聽a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar.聽Keep in mind聽that your filter manufacturer聽may have聽a different recommendation from your聽HVAC system聽manufacturer.

Figuring out聽how often to change your air filters聽relies upon聽several factors:

Which air filter your system requires
The聽collective聽air quality of your the U.S area home
Pets –聽Birds, cats, dogs, hamsters (do you have one?), etc.
Number of occupants in the house
The level of air pollution and construction around the home

For聽your standard聽1″-3″ air filters, the聽OEM specs聽basically聽tell you聽to change them聽every 1 or 2 months, which is聽in fact聽a great rule of thumb.聽Still,聽general rules aren't always for everybody. If you聽have to endure聽light to moderate allergies, you聽might need to upgrade your聽air filter or change them even more聽often聽than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you’re in a聽low population聽area, own a聽less聽occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area聽where there are fewer cars around,聽replacing your air filters each year聽may be quite sufficient. Why聽do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter聽quick.聽Clearly, the air filter is just doing its job by聽containing聽pet hair and dander, but聽exceptionally聽dirty filters can cause聽seriously reduced聽HVAC performance.

In summary:

Vacation聽home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months
Average聽suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days

Got a cat or dog: Change every 60 days
Several pets聽or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days

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

Here's an easy way to stay on top of this; sign up for the 黑料社区 Email Club.聽Also, 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聽the date of your choosing.

How to replace your return air filter

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

Find聽your return air vents.
Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to聽remove from the聽wall.
Inspect聽for a filter. If one is聽there, pull it out and聽write down聽the size.
Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer.
If the filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer’s recommended filter of the same size and type.

Incredible though聽it may seem, filters can聽dramatically聽alter聽your home’s airflow, which is why we recommend聽asking聽the manufacturer. A聽top tier聽HEPA filter that is designed to catch聽smaller聽particles聽will聽restrict聽airflow more than a cheaper filter. With restricted airflow comes聽more聽pressure on your system, so you聽should聽verify that your HVAC system was聽engineered聽to handle it. Otherwise, you聽could聽experience聽lowered聽heating and cooling efficiency in your home, and聽unit聽parts may聽wear out聽much faster than聽the standard.