The general consensus among HVAC professionals is that you should replace your furnace filter every 90 days or every three months. However, this depends on the thickness of the filter. Thicker filters have more room to accumulate dirt and dust, so you don't need to change them as often. Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, of Ohio, recommends changing filters less than 2 inches thick every 30 to 90 days.
Three- or 4-inch filters can last 6 to 9 months, and filters up to 6 inches thick can be replaced once a year. Generally, you should replace a fiberglass air filter about once every 30 days or as recommended by the manufacturer. A pleated air filter should be replaced approximately once every three to six months. The frequency of air filter replacement depends on several important factors, such as your home, occupants, and location.
When the filter becomes clogged with dirt and debris, air cannot pass through the filter properly. If your furniture gets dusty soon after cleaning the house, the oven filter could be clogged and stop effectively removing dust from the air. If you change your air filter and these problems persist, we recommend that you contact a professional HVAC technician to help you fix the problem. As air circulates through a building's air conditioning system, air filters trap and accumulate large and small particles, such as dust, allergens, and microorganisms.
If the filter remains unchanged, it can even shorten the life of the boiler or air conditioner, so it is important to include air filter replacement in the list of common household maintenance tasks. Air filters with a MERV index ranging from 17 to 20 are designed for areas that require absolute sterility, such as operating rooms or rooms for immunosuppressed people. Using an air filter with a MERV rating higher than that recommended by the boiler or air conditioner manufacturer can actually impair its performance. If you have a pet, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning of Texas recommends changing filters from 1 to 3 inches every two months.
It is important to keep in mind that the frequency of air filter replacement depends on several factors such as your home's size and location, number of occupants in your home, and type of filter used. The general recommendation is that oven filters be replaced at least once every 90 days. Some air filters are supposed to survive up to six months while others need to be changed monthly. The denser the air filter, the longer it should last.
In general, you can examine the thickness of the filter rather than the brand. To ensure optimal performance of your HVAC system and maintain good indoor air quality in your home, it is important to replace your 16x20x1 air filter regularly according to manufacturer's instructions or at least once every 90 days.
