For the most part, fiddling around with your HVAC system should be left to companies like Front Range HVAC. If you’ve noticed small issues with your furnace or AC such as low heat output or climbing utility bills, there is likely a simple solution to getting your furnace back on track, changing out your filter.
A clogged or dirty filter can cause a myriad of problems for your furnace or air-conditioner including low output, soaring heating, and cooling bills, and even a breakdown of your system. You get it, you should be changing out your air filters, but you can’t be expected to switch them out every week, so when is it time to change your HVAC filter?
So, When Is It Time to Change Your HVAC Filter?
Unfortunately, there are no concrete sets of dates to change your air filter, but there are ways to figure out how often you should be changing yours. Our starting number, to begin with, is every 90 days. There aren’t very many cases in which you should let your filter go longer than 90 days without being changed, except in a vacation home or a home that is only occupied for brief periods of time. Other factors mean you should be changing your HVAC filters more frequently than every 90 days.
Allergies and Illness
If someone in the home suffers from allergies or pulmonary issues like COPD, filters should be changed more often than every 90 days. When you have someone in the home with allergy issues, filters should be changed at least every 60 days.
Pets in the House
Pets bring in their dirt, dander, and allergens. The more pets you have in the house, the more often you should be changing out your air filter. Every 60 days is a typical timeframe for changing filters when you have pets.
Other Circumstances
What’s going on in and around your home will affect how often you change your filters as well. If you have particularly bad air quality in your area or new construction nearby, you likely need to be changing your filters more often than every 90 days.
Changing your HVAC filters every 90 days is a good starting point but should be increased when you have issues such as poor air quality, pets, or those in the home who suffer an allergy or pulmonary issues.
Check your filters at least once every 30 days and change them if you notice a collection of dirt, dust, or other debris regardless of your time frame. Front Range HVAC can help you pick the right filter for your home based on its circumstances, along with installing it on your behalf to ensure it fits just right.