Do you know how many times a year you should be replacing your furnace filters?
Most of us don’t even think about changing the furnace filters in our heating and cooling systems, but when we start to detect a foul smell in the air or an air conditioner not blowing enough cold air, it could be a fault on our furnace filter. Not only is a furnace filter critical for our indoor air, but a dirty filter can affect the performance of our HVAC system.
A dirty filter can…
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- Lower indoor air quality.
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- Restrict air flow.
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- Shorten the lifespan of our air distribution equipment and outdoor air conditioner or heat pump.
- Cause unpleasant odors in our home.
Why Change the Furnace Filter?
We may think that a furnace filter does not do much work because of its thin size, but we are wrong. Furnace filter does a lot — it plays a massive part in how well our furnace works and in the air quality of our home.
When our furnace operates, the filter will collect specific airborne particles that we would otherwise breathe in. However, after time, too much debris will clog up the screen, making it hard for air to pass through. It causes our furnace to suffer, resulting in higher energy costs and poorer air quality. If we install an air purification system like the Lennox Healthy Climate Air Purification System or SolaceAir Indoor Air Quality Systems, we will no longer need to replace our filters often because they bind the tiny particulates in our air together to make them big enough for the furnace filter to catch.
How Often Should We Replace Our Furnace Filter?
Most people will change their filters at the start of a new season when they know the equipment is going to be working its hardest. Some people, on the other hand, change it once a month – just to be on the safe side. Here are some factors that could determine how often you should change your furnace filter:
- Pets – If we have pets, especially multiple animals or long-haired breeds, they will produce pet dander, needing for us to replace the filter more often.
- Smoking – If someone in our home smokes or we have regular visitors who smoke indoors, it will require us to change our filter more than every three months.
- Construction Zone – Recently renovated your home or living in a subdivision under construction, then the dust would accumulate more quickly, requiring more frequent filter changes.
- Allergies – If someone in your home suffers from allergies, consider changing our filter up to once a month. Or, you can invest in a more powerful furnace filter. Just remember, don’t get a filter that is too restrictive on your airflow, as there can be such thing as too much filtration. Talk to our HVAC contractor in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada about the best filtration level of your home.
- Type of Filter – The type of filter we use can also determine the frequency of filter replacement. The effectiveness of furnace filter is rated using a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). The higher the rating, the more germs, particles, odor particulates, and other air impurities it can eliminate from the air, but that also means the more often we need to change the filter.
Every home is different, and everyone has diverse lifestyles that can affect the status of your filter. The best method to know when you should replace your air filter is by regularly checking it.
Don’t let a dirty furnace filter hurt your indoor air quality, change your filter often, and breathe in fresh, healthy air all year round. Schedule a professional maintenance service at Einstein Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling for a complete furnace or HVAC system service. Reach us at 888-671-7767 or email [email protected], we also provide plumbing, water heater, and sewer & mainline services to all residential and commercial areas in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.