The general consensus among HVAC professionals is that you should replace your furnace air filter every 90 days or every three months. However, this may vary depending on the thickness of the filter, the location of your home, if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. For 3- and 4-inch filters, plan a replacement approximately every six to nine months. If you have larger 5- or 6-inch filters, you'll need to change them every nine to 12 months.
If you are allergic to dust or pet dander, you should change your air filters more regularly than every 90 days. Try replacing filters after 60 days, and if your allergies continue to increase, consider changing them every month or changing them to pleated filters. 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 you need to change the air filter.
In most cases, you should replace the filter at least every three months, even in summer. If you can't seem to remember to do it, a good rule of thumb is to change your oven filter every time the seasons change. 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.
A clean filter is necessary to prevent dust from passing through the HVAC system, where it can accumulate in the internal coils of the air conditioner and reduce the efficiency of the unit. You will no longer be able to filter the air properly, allowing dust and contaminants to enter the HVAC system. If there is an asthmatic or allergic person in your home, they are much more sensitive to airborne particles than those who don't. To give you a starting point of how often you are looking to change furnace filters, size matters.
If you live in a larger house, that means there's a lot more air moving through the house and the oven filter. On the other hand, if you use your HVAC system almost constantly, you'll need to change the filter every few weeks (especially if you use fiberglass filters). It's not used to purify the air you breathe, but to protect the sensitive components of your HVAC system. Even though almost everyone knows about furnace filters, they are still one of the most neglected furnace maintenance tasks.
When furnace filters are forgotten or omitted to change, several problems arise in homes. To ensure optimal performance of your HVAC system and maintain good indoor air quality in your home, it's important that you replace your furnace air filter regularly according to manufacturer's instructions. In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months.
