Air filters are a commonly neglected element in your home. Do you remember the last time you changed your air filter? Do you know how many air filters are in your home? What about the recommended type of filter for your HVAC system?
Many homeowners and renters fail to see the purpose and need for clean air filters or might not even know that they’re supposed to replace air filters regularly!
Black Diamond Electric, Plumbing, Heating, and Air are here today to help you learn everything you need to know about air filters. We can help you learn the purpose of your air filters, and how to determine the appropriate schedule for you to replace your air filters.
The Purpose of Air Filters
Air filters help to remove the impurities from the air in your HVAC system. As air cycles through, it’s channeled through your air filters to trap dirt, hair, bugs, allergens, dust, and more. If your filters are not changed regularly, they fill with contaminants, making it much more difficult for the air to pass through. This makes your HVAC unit work harder to force air through the system and decreases the cleanliness of your air. That’s why it’s so vital to frequently change out your air filters before they are completely clogged with impurities trapped inside.
How Often Should You Change Your Filter
The first thing you need to know is where your filters are located. Your home builder or HVAC system manufacturers can give you a recommended size and level of filter to use, usually around 1-3” sizes. Most of those filters are recommended to be changed every 60-90 days.
There are lots of other factors that can help you determine how frequently you should change the air filter in your home. If you have pets, your air will have more impurities than a non-pet home. Hair, dander, dirt, allergens, and other impurities come with having pets so your air filters will be working much harder to remove these elements from your air as it cycles through your HVAC system.
For a home with pets, Black Diamond recommends changing the filters every 20-30 days to keep your air fresh and your filters working efficiently. If you live in an area with high levels of traffic and/or pollution, or if you have someone in your home who suffers from allergies or frequent illness, you should consider changing your filters every 20-30 days as well. Changing your air filters more frequently will keep your home cleaner and your air quality high despite the surroundings.
On the flip side, a home with no pets and few occupants or rare occupation (such as a vacation home) can go up to 6-9 months without having to change the filter. It all depends on how many people live in your space if you have pets, pollution, allergies, or other concerns.
We encourage you to set a recurring reminder to change your air filters based on your needs. Changing the air filter frequently can also lower your energy bills by helping your HVAC units work more efficiently! Change your air filters frequently and keep your home healthy.
