No one wants to breathe in dust and other particles that your ac or furnace filter traps. Having a good working filter in your ac or furnace can not only help trap those particles but it also does a lot more as well. That’s why you need to change your ac or furnace filter on a regular basis. There are some things that play a huge role in how often you change those filters however.
When Should You Change Your AC or Furnace Filter
The primary purpose of a filter on your ac or furnace is to stop dust, dirt, and any other particles from even entering into the system. By doing so, your filter stops all these particles from being pushed back into the home effectively giving you cleaner air to breathe in your home. Of course, this only happens when the filter is performing well and not clogged because of lack of changing it. Most service techs recommend changing your filter every 4 to 6 weeks for most applications. But there are many other factors that you should know about your filter in order to get the best possible performance of your filter.
Can Your AC or Furnace Filter Save You Money?
When a filter doesn’t perform properly dust and dirt are allowed on the interior parts of the system. Once this happens a tech will typically need to clean these parts with commercial grade cleaning products. Debris can cling to fan blades and motors causing less air flow through the system. Decreasing the air flow though your HVAC system will strain internal components and increase the energy consumption of the unit. Thus, costing you more on your electric bill and decreasing energy efficiency.
Your unit also likely contains an evaporator coil that has small openings designed to exchange heat and cool with the air passing over it. These openings are only a few millimeters think in most cases and can be clogged with dirt, grease, nicotine, and other particles. Keeping your filter in working order ensures that the coils stay clean and working properly.
Some Things You’ll Want to Consider When Changing Your Filter
Although the normal time frame to change an AC or furnace filter is 4 to 6 weeks there are some things you’ll want to consider when determining when you should change your filters. The first being your location and the surroundings of where your home is. For dry and extremely dusty areas you’ll want to change your ac or furnace filter more often. Many people who live on dirt or rock covered roads will also need to change their filters more often.
If you smoke in your home and others do the same then be sure to change your filters more often as well. Nicotine from cigarettes and cigars can accumulate on the filter and cause a sticky effect that may decrease the life of the filter.
Having pets in your home that have lots of dander and shedding hair can also cause you to change your ac or furnace filter faster.
All of the above examples need to be considered when you change your ac or furnace filter. Keep checking your air filter to make sure it isn’t clogged and performing regularly for best results.
