How Often Should You Change Your Home Air Filter?

Learn how often should you change your home's HVAC air filter depending on how long it is expected to last and different qualities in your home that affect it.

How Often Should You Change Your Home Air Filter?

The ideal is to change your air filter every three months, however, there are certain factors to consider when determining when to replace an old filter. Type of air filter is one of the most important factors. Some air filters are more effective than others. In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months.

This may vary 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 more you use your home, the more often you need to change the air filter. An HVAC filter will only last one to three months on average. Which means you need to keep track of the date you installed them. If you wait too long to change the filter, indoor air quality will suffer. The fabric of the air filters included in this class makes it much more difficult for the HVAC system to operate smoothly.

A collapsed air filter can get stuck in the fan or create a large space, causing air to float around the filter without leaking out. If you have poor outdoor air quality or pets indoors, you'll need to replace your air filter more often. With older homes or in areas with lots of surrounding foliage and high pollen counts, you may also need to change your air filter more often. All the air that circulates through your HVAC system, whether for heating or cooling your home, will eventually pass through the air filter. The MERV rating is a scale from 1 to 20 and evaluates how well an air filter can remove particles from the air. Respiratory problems make you much more sensitive to particles in the air, so you should change your air filter every six weeks to ensure your indoor air quality stays at its best. However, the smaller the appliance used for cooling, the small space usually comes with smaller filters, so you may need to change the filter as often as a filter in a larger home.

If there is no smoker or pets in your home, and your filter is the 1 filter that is commonly sold with a MERV rating of 4, you should be able to wait up to 90 days before changing it. These air filters act as barriers to prevent contaminants from entering the HVAC system or circulating in the air. With air conditioners, replace the filter every 30 days with cheaper fiberglass filters to avoid higher energy bills. More cycles mean more filter passes and opportunities to trap contaminants, so filters typically fill faster during periods of heavy use. To have your HVAC system inspected and repaired with a filter change, or if you are looking for Phoenix air conditioning companies to provide other HVAC services, contact Day & Night Air today for fast, professional service.

Penelope Ruelle
Penelope Ruelle

Passionate zombie lover. Proud bacon ninja. Tea ninja. Avid social media junkie. Extreme internet evangelist. General travelaholic.