When Should I Change My Air Conditioner’s Air Filter at Home?

Every once in a while we’re asked what is the number one thing that Edmonton area homeowner’s can do to maintain their air conditioning and heating system between their seasonal tune-ups? Our advice is simple; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter. Replacing furnace and return air filters is crucial to the proper performance of your HVAC system, plus your home’s air quality. Research suggests that indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks? You probably don’t consider it as you sit and watch TV, but this is the air you breathe day and night. Changing the air filters is not a tough thing to do for most Edmonton homeowners, but there are often two obstacles to actually getting it done: 

1. Understanding just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter. 

2. Changing them when you’re suppose to. 

When To Change Your Air Filters 

Most filters have a timeline printed on the box or plastic. It may instruct “Lasts up to 3 months” or “Change filter every 90 days”. Check out the filters at the store and you’ll see that some are designed to only last a month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have released media air cleaners with filters meant to be exchanged once every 6-12 months. The standard seems to be once every few months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we recommend our customers to go by. If it’s dirty, change it! A dirty air filter can contribute or cause damage to pricey components, like your compressor, so it’s best to change it out more often than to let it go. If you want to stick to the manufacturer’s recommended limit, we suggest scribbling the date on the filter when you swap it out, and setting a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar. Also note that your filter manufacturer may have a different recommendation from your HVAC system manufacturer. 
 
Deciding how often to change your air filters hinges on several factors: 

• The type of air filter you are using 
• The entire air quality of your Edmonton area home 
• Pets – Cats, dogs, birds, etc. 
• Occupancy of the home 

• The level of air pollution and construction around the home 

For the common 1″-3″ air filters, the manufacturer specs basically say to change them every 1 or 2 months, which is really a great rule of thumb. But general guidelines are not applicable to all. If you have to endure light to moderate allergies, you might require an upgraded air filter or change them even more often than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you’re in a less populated area, own a seldom occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area with few automobiles and trucks, replacing your air filters each year may be quite sufficient. Why do we call out our beloved pets? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter quick. Obviously, the air filter is just doing its job by trapping pet hair and dander, but extremely dirty filters can cause seriously reduced HVAC performance. 

In summary: 

• Seldom used home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months 
• Typical suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days 

• Got a cat or dog: Change every 60 days 
• More than one pet or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days 

How To Remember To Change Your Air Conditioner’s Air Filters 

Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offers a simple solution; sign up for the Service Experts Email Club. This is a convenient way to get money-saving discounts and other helpful information on your smartphone, tablet or desktop. Also, your email subscription preferences let’s you set a reminder to change your Edmonton area home’s air filter every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or the date of your choosing. 

How to replace your return air filter 

Most of you know how to replace the air filter in their equipment, but some homes have another filter in the return ducts. Whether you have one or not is dependent on the HVAC manufacturer’s recommendation. Your HVAC is designed to handle a certain amount of pressure in your home, and the more filters you have the harder the blower motor works, which can decrease the life expectancy of your system if it isn’t designed for it. Finding out whether you have a return filter and replacing it is a piece of cake: 

• Find your return air vents. 

• Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to take off the wall. 

• Look for a filter. If one is there, pull it out and write down the size. 

• Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer. 

• If the filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer’s recommended filter of the same size and type. 

Crazy as it may seem, filters can greatly affect your home’s airflow, which is why we recommend checking in with the manufacturer. A higher quality HEPA filter that is designed to catch finer particles will reduce airflow more than a cheaper filter. With restricted airflow comes more pressure on your system, so you need to verify that your HVAC system was made to handle it. Otherwise, you may experience uneven heating and cooling efficiency in your home, and HVAC parts may break down much faster than the standard.