When Should I be Changing My Furnace Filter?

There are good reasons for changing your furnace filters on a regular basis. If you do not change them regularly, you may be losing some of the protection that they provide. Filters can become full of dust and other particles and then they will not trap the new particles that come through. This means they will be released into the air and you will be breathing them in. In addition, your furnace will have to run harder and will be less energy efficient if your filter is dirty. So how do you know when to change that filter? Here are some general guidelines that can help you determine how often is best for you.

Do you have animals?

Animals are one thing that will affect when your filter needs to be changed. If you have multiple animals then you will change your furnace filters more often than if you have none. Generally those with multiple animals will change a one or two inch filter every month. A four inch filter will need to be changed every two months and a five inch filter every three months. If you only have one animals then you can change that and change the filters every two, four and six months depending on the size of your filter. No animals means you can change every three, six and twelve months.

How dusty is your home?

Dust is another thing that can affect the performance of your filter. If you get a lot of dust in your home then you will want to change more often. For one and two inch filters you need to change once a month. Four inch filters can go two months and five inch filters can go three. Moderate dust will change those numbers to two, four and six. If you have no dust and no other factors then you change your filter every three, six or twelve month depending on the thickness.

Do you keep the heat or a/c fan on?

If you always have it on then you will want to change your one and two inch filters monthly. If you sometimes have it on, they can be changed every couple of months. If it is never on you can wait three months. Four inch filters will be changed every two, four or six months depending on whether the fan is on constantly, sometimes or rarely. Five inch filters will be three, six and twelve months.

Does anyone smoke in the home?

Smoke can be detrimental to the filter and will make you have to change it sooner. Multiple smokers mean that one to two inch furnace filters should be changed monthly, four inch filters every two months and five inch filters every three months. One smoker changes those numbers to two, four and six. If there are no smokers then filters can be changed every three, six or twelve months based on the thickness of the filter.

Do you keep windows and doors open?

Since this lets a lot of dust and dirt inside, it can impact how often a filter should be changed. If the doors and windows are open a lot, change those one and two inch filters monthly. Change four inch filters every two months and five inch filters every three months. If you only keep them open sometimes then you can change every two, four and six months. If you never have them open then you change filters at three, six and twelve months based on your thickness.

When you change your filter is based on more than simply your filter. While the thickness plays a prominent role, so do the factors in your home. Quality Furnace Filters provides high quality replacement filters with top MERV ratings so that you get the best results in both air quality and energy efficiency.