The simplest answer to how often filters should be changed is “whenever they get dirty”. The amount of dust and other contaminants in the indoor air. The presence and effectiveness of other air cleaning systems. In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months.
This may change depending on the location of your home (e.g. dry and dusty climates), if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets in your home, you should consider changing the filter every 60 days or 2 months, and for households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we recommend changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Usually, vacation homes or vacant homes that don't have much use can expect to change filters every 9-12 months.
The general consensus is that the more you use your home, the more you need to change the air filter. Even the best DIYer knows there are limits to what you can do yourself without specialized training. Changing air filters is standard DIY work. Professional HVAC maintenance and repair is not.
Unless you've had HVAC training and continuing education, since technology raises the bar almost every year, you can do more harm than good. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), “indoor air quality is just as important as outdoor air quality. If you have a very active building (for example, a medical facility), you will need to replace filters more often. It's not used to purify the air you breathe, but to protect the sensitive components of your HVAC system.
They are inserted in a specific location within the return air duct (usually a large pull-down ventilation in the hallway or other place in the house). There are so many factors involved in heating and cooling air filters that no one can say for sure what you need. If you answer yes to this question, you'll want to change your filter every 6 weeks to maintain the best indoor air quality. These air filters act as barriers to prevent contaminants from entering the HVAC system or circulating in the air.
If you live in a “smaller house,” your air conditioners and ovens need to pump less air for the same amount of temperature change, which could mean fewer filter changes. All the air that circulates through your HVAC system, whether for heating or cooling your home, will eventually pass through the air filter. Regular maintenance can ensure that your unit is in the best possible condition before it has to work exceptionally during the cold winter and hot summer temperatures. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion on how often to replace HVAC filters (heating, ventilation, air conditioning).
Most homes have some type of oven or heat pump, and many of those homes (especially newer ones) have combined heating, ventilation and air conditioning or HVAC systems. You can hear it: Your HVAC technician is giving you lessons on how to make sure you change your air filter. It's important to note that there are high-efficiency filters that are designed to filter out small bacterial, mold, and fungal particles, but your standard MERV 8-11 filters will simply block out larger particles of dust, dirt & hair. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you'll want to replace the filter more often than recommended.
