How Often to Change the Air Filters in Your House
An HVAC air filter is designed to decrease the total amount of dirt, dust, mold spores, pollen, and lint in the air of your home. By removing particles and debris from incoming air, these filters help protect the parts and components in your HVAC system. Additionally, continuously swapping your air conditioner and furnace filter will help decrease your energy bills. Are you wondering how often to change the air filters in your house? We have compiled a list of recommendations to help prolong the lifespan of your furnace and air conditioning system.
If you are using a fiberglass air conditioner filter to eliminate dust and dirt in your house, you should consider swapping it once a month to maintain high quality air. On the other hand, pleated filters are only required to be replaced every 90 to 180 days in an average household. The total amount of times you are required to replace your air conditioner filters on an annual basis will be dependent on a couple of factors.
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Factors That Affect How Often You Should Change Your AC Filters
There are various factors that will impact how often you should change the air filters in your house. To keep your air clean and prolong the lifespan of your HVAC system, we recommend following the suggestions below:
Health Conditions
If a spouse or child living in your home has been diagnosed with allergies or asthma, this will affect how often you should change your AC filters. Particles such as mold spores, dust, and pollen may negatively impact the health of these individuals. Regardless of the type of air filter you have in your home, we recommend replacing it twice a year to prevent allergy and asthma attacks.
Dogs, Cats, & Other Pets
When your dog or cat sheds in your home, the loose hair particles will begin to float throughout the air and become stuck on furniture. So, how often should you change your AC filter if you have allergic animals in your enclosure? To preserve your air quality and protect your furnace and air conditioner, it is recommended that you replace the HVAC air filter every 6 weeks.
Children
If you have children, this will impact how often you should change the air filter in your house. To protect the health of your family, you should swap the air conditioner and furnace filters every 60 – 90 days.
Efficiency & Effectiveness of Furnace & AC Air Filters
The total efficiency of an air conditioner filter can be confirmed by looking at the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV value). This key performance indicator may be located on the packaging or instructions for the AC air filter. Depending on the effectiveness and price of an average air filter, it is able to earn a value between 1 to 16. Furnace and air conditioner filters that feature higher MERV ratings are designed to filter a larger amount of particles when compared to products with lower ratings.
Air filters that include a MERV rating between 1 – 4 are the most affordable option available on the market to homeowners. On the other hand, HVAC and ac filters that feature a MERV rating of 13 – 16 are able to eliminate particles from the air that are as small as 0.3 microns. There are various types of furnace and air conditioner filters that boast MERV ratings higher than 16. While these ac filters are an effective way to eliminate minuscule air particles in your home, they also impede the flow of air from the furnace and air conditioner. Before you change an air filter in your house, we recommend looking at the manufacturer instructions for your HVAC system to confirm it’s able to support high MERV filters.
Types of Furnace & AC Air Filters
HEPA Air Filters
This type of furnace and air conditioner air filter is engineered to remove the tiniest airborne particles from a home. HEPA AC air filters are able to eliminate bacteria and smoke from tobacco from the air. The average HEPA air filter will include a MERV rating between 17 to 20. While this type of HVAC filter may be beneficial for individuals with allergies and asthma, it may obstruct the flow of air in your home.
Pleated AC Filters
This type of AC filter is able to remove pet dander and mold spores from the air of your house. The maximum MERV rating for a pleated HVAC filter may be as high as 13. Pleated filters are a popular option because they do not hinder airflow from furnaces or air conditioners.
Fiberglass Filters
Fiberglass HVAC and AC filters feature the lowest MERV ratings and are sold at extremely low prices. While this type of filter is able to remove dust and dirt from the air, it is unable to remove minuscule particles from the air that may be harmful to individuals with allergies or asthma.
HVAC & Air Duct Services Near You
The staff at Team Electric, Plumbing, & Air offers reliable repair and installation services for air conditioning systems and furnaces in New Jersey. If you need assistance changing an air filter in your house, give us a call by phone at (732) 201-3305 or schedule an appointment online to receive assistance. Depending on the type of filter you choose to install, our team will discuss how often you should change the air filter in your house to maintain clean and safe air. Our team also provides reputable air duct installation, repair, and cleaning services in areas of New Jersey such as Middletown, Brick, Tom’s River, Trenton, and Elizabeth. Contact a member of our team today to receive assistance.
