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

Every once in a while we’re asked what is the best thing that Edmonton area homeowner’s can do to ensure efficient functionality of their air conditioning and heating system between their regular tune-ups? Our advice is simple; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter. Changing furnace and return air filters is critical to the effectiveness of your HVAC system, plus your home’s air quality. Research suggests that indoor air pollution is one of 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 difficult for most Edmonton homeowners, but there are often two challenges to actually accomplishing this task: 

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

2. Replacing them at the proper time. 

When To Change Your Air Filters 

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

• Type of filter your A/C system requires 
• The collective air quality of your Edmonton area home 
• Pets – Dogs, cats, etc. 
• Number of people in the home 

• How much construction is taking place in the neighborhood around your home 

For your typical 1″-3″ air filters, the manufacturers basically suggest to change them every 30-60 days, which is in fact a great rule of thumb. But general guidelines are not applicable to all. If you suffer from light to moderate allergies, you might need to upgrade your air filter or change them even more regularly than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you’re in a remote area, own a infrequently occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area where there are fewer cars around, 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 in no time, just like a vacuum. Clearly, the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but tremendously dirty filters can cause diminished HVAC performance. 

In summary: 

• Infrequently occupied 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 
• Multiple pets or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days 

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

Here’s an easy way to stay on top of this; sign up for the Service Experts Email Club. This is a great to receive discounts on service, tips and other helpful information directly to your email. In addition, 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 any date you find most convenient. 

How to replace your return air filter 

Most of you know how to replace the air filter in their equipment, but some homes have an additional filter in the return ducts. Whether you have one or not is dependent on what your unit’s manufacturer recommends. Your HVAC is made to handle a maximum amount of pressure in your home sweet home, and the more filters you have the more the blower motor works, which can decrease the life expectancy of your system if it isn’t designed for it. Learning whether you have a return filter and replacing it is simple: 

• Find your return air vents. 

• Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to remove from the wall. 

• Look for a filter. If one is inside, 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. 

Amazing as it may seem, filters can greatly affect your home’s airflow, which is why we recommend referring to the manufacturer. A higher quality HEPA filter that is designed to catch smaller debris will obstruct airflow more than a cheaper filter. With restricted airflow comes greater pressure on your system, so you ought to verify that your HVAC system was built to handle it. Otherwise, you might experience reduced heating and cooling efficiency in your home, and system parts may die off much faster than normal.