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, if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. The only way to ensure how often you need to change your air filter is to perform a visual inspection of the filter every month. After a few months, you'll get an idea of how quickly it gets dirty.
You'll need to reassess if you have a new pet or if the outdoor air quality has been poor. The ideal is to change your air filter every three months, however, there are certain factors to consider when determining when to change an old filter. A general rule of thumb for pleated air filters (such as those manufactured by FilterBuy) is to replace the filter every 90 days. As the filter traps more dirt, dust and allergens from the air, the efficiency of the filter decreases. Find out below if you should replace the filter more often.
Air filters should be changed every 90 days on average. 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.
With air conditioners, replace the filter every 30 days with cheaper fiberglass filters to avoid higher energy bills. It's a general recommendation to change your home's air filter every 30 days when using less expensive fiberglass filters. In addition, not replacing the air filter accordingly can cause the homeowner's energy bill to rise, as clogged filters cause the system to work harder when air circulates. If you have an asthmatic or allergic person at home, change the filter every 6 weeks to ensure that the indoor air quality is the best. The fabric of the air filters included in this class makes it much more difficult for the HVAC system to operate smoothly.
Children are more sensitive than adults to indoor air pollutants such as mold, dust mite debris, dander and pollen, so turn your home into an oasis by using quality air filters and replacing them before they become clogged and dirty too much. Outdoor air quality can have a big impact on how often the air filter becomes dirty and needs to be replaced. The air cleaner and boiler filter replacement cycle is also affected by air outside and inside your home. Regardless of the HVAC system you have, each unit needs a properly tuned quality filter to keep indoor air quality clean and your unit operating at peak efficiency. If you don't like the idea of throwing out the air filter every two weeks, invest in a washable air filter. For most people, the difficult part of changing your air filter is determining what type of replacement you should get.
When the air filter is clean, you don't have to inhale particles and other different contaminants. If your dirty air filter is completely covered with dust and dirt, it's a good idea to change the filter even if it hasn't reached the end of its recommended life. Fiberglass air filters are the more affordable of the two, but less efficient at capturing dust and particles in the air. If you want a dog or cat that is hypoallergenic or does not shed hair, you may not have to replace the air filter as much.
