If you’ve every called in to have your heating or cooling system serviced, likely the voice on the other end of the phone has asked if you’ve changed the air filter. Many heating and cooling companies offer email reminders to change your filter. During the Spring and Fall, you hear the push to check your filter.
Why do heating and cooling professionals care so much about your air filter? It isn’t just to upsell you another item, but it actually benefits you more than the heating contractor!
What does a filter do?
By protecting the furnace from the dust and debris in the air, it keeps your furnace clean allowing for more efficient operation and causing fewer breakdowns. The removal of the dust and debris also benefits the occupants of the building by improving the indoor air quality.
Why Change It?
As the filter is used, it develops a build up of particles on it. This build up helps block smaller particles, but it also requires your furnace to work harder to circulate air. This will cause your furnace to lose some efficiency and could result in premature failure of the motor.
When Should I Change it?
When your filter needs changed is dependent on a few things
– lifestyle – do you have pets or smoke indoors? This will require more frequent filter changes
– filter quality – Merv rating, amount of filter material used, and depth of filter
– usage – during the off seasons of heating and cooling, a filter is going to last a little longer, since your HVAC system isn’t in operation as much (unless you have your fan on all the time, which is beneficial to your home comfort).
That probably sounds like a confusing non-answer on when you should change the filter. It is recommended that you check the filter monthly or bi-monthly and change it when you hold the filter up to a light and can’t see light through it.
If you have a standard 1″ filter, the very least you should change the filter is at the start of heating season and the start of cooling season. Media air cleaners usually are designed to last a full year, again dependent upon lifestyle.