How Often Should We Replace the Air Filter?

Manufacturers Suggestions

Most manufacturers generally recommend Air Filters be changed every three months. But in reality, the “right” answer is different for every house.

While the recommendation of three months is a good place to start, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. Many factors come into play when determining how often a filter should be changed, such as:

• Type of filter: Filters can vary in thickness from 1” to 5”+. A good rule of thumb is every inch of thickness is good for one month. For example, 1-inch filters should be changed every month, 2-inch filters every two months, and so forth.
• Home pollutants: If you live with pets, their dander will clog up the filter faster than normal. If there are smokers inside of the house, this will also make it necessary to replace your filters more often. Another consideration is if you keep your windows open. The more you leave your windows open, the larger amount of pollutants that get into your home.
• Dust: If your home gets a lot of dust, you may have to change your filter about twice as often as normal.

And remember – When in doubt, swap it out!

Neglecting to check and replace dirty air filters is one of the most common problems we see in homes.

The best advice we offer to homeowners is to check your air filters every month and replace them every three months for optimal HVAC performance and improved indoor air quality.

This will help ensure your indoor air stays clean, and keep your home free of allergens and pollutants.

Remeber to Check Your Filters

While the air filters don’t usually need to be replaced each month, it’s good practice to check them anyway to make sure they’re still okay (because sometimes they do need to be replaced more often than every three months).

This will help ensure your HVAC system is working the way it should.