How Often To Change HVAC Filter – Complete Guide

HVAC systems are installed in every home and building. They evenly distribute the air in the whole area. With HVAC systems installed in every building, people ask how often to change HVAC filters.  

However, it solely depends on the type of filters and environment of the building. This article will guide you about how often to change HVAC filters and the related information.

What Are HVAC Filters?

The HVAC filters are used in the HVAC duct network. They are mostly used in the heating and cooling systems of a building. These filters are responsible for seizing and capturing foreign particles from the air. These foreign particles may include dust, pollen grains, and other debris. These filters keep the air clean and Allergen-free. 

In addition to this, these filters catch particles from the air. Hence, they also prevent foreign particles from circulating in the entire house through the duct network.

Reasons Behind Periodic Inspection Of HVAC Filters:

Do You Experience Recurrent Breathing Problems:

Research from the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AFA) has shown that indoor quality matters as much as outdoor quality. As we know, the HVAC system controls the indoor quality of air, so it is necessary to clean the air filters. Otherwise, there is a big chance that indoor air quality can get even worse than outdoor air quality. 

If you are sensitive to allergens or an asthmatic person, it is necessary to change your air filters every six weeks. Since it is concerned with our health and wellbeing, experts advise doing professional sanitizing. If you are a resident of Cumming, you can search for air duct sanitizing Cumming.

Do You Keep Dogs And Cats As A Pet:

It is a common observation that dogs and cats shed periodically. They shed their hair mostly during seasonal changes. These filters can pick these hairs and lints from the house. As a result, strands and lints can build up in filters in the form of trash. This trash can get accumulated in the air ducts as well. 

Therefore, you may need to contact the air duct cleaning service in Cumming. They have qualified and skillful cleaners. Dirty filters can never filter air at their optimum level. Therefore, we need to change our filters after every two months. This frequency can be increased during the seasonal changes. 

Do You Have Kids At Your Home Or Building?

In that case, you need to be more cautious about the indoor air quality. Children and kids are more susceptible to airborne diseases. Therefore you will need to change your filters after 2-3 months.

Three Factors That Might Affect The Lifespan Of An HVAC Filter:

1. Usage Of HVAC System:

If you are operating an HVAC system on a mild basis, you do not need to worry about your HVAC filters for an entire season. Even if you use an HVAC system for a few hours daily, these filters might last up to a year. In comparison to this, if you use an HVAC system daily for several hours, you should change your air filter every month. However, if you are using a fiberglass filter, you might need to change it every few weeks.

2. Size Of The Building:

The size of the building is directly proportional to the frequency of the filter being changed. For instance, if you operate an HVAC system in a smaller area, you will need to change your filter after 5-6 months. However, if we use the same HVAC system in a bigger space, you need to change it every 2-3 months. The reason behind this is that smaller areas need less cooling or heating. In addition to this, the bigger the room is, the more debris will be present in the air. Thus, the size of the area contributes to replacing filters.

3. Quality Of The Air:

If you live in a sandy and arenaceous area, you will often want to replace your filters. However, if the outdoor air quality is fine and clean, you can change your air filter every six months.

How Long Does Air Filters Last:

The lifespan of an air filter generally depends on the type and material of the air filter.

Generally speaking, it depends on the size of the air filter. For instance 

•  Air filters with 1″ and 2″ sizes last approximately one to three months. 

• Filters with 3″ and 4″ lengths have a lifespan of six to nine months. 

• We can replace 5″ and 6″ filters after nine months to one year.

 Commonly, we use two types of air filters:

Fiberglass Air Filter:

People consider Fiberglass air filters as less pricey and cheap filters. However, they don’t have much longer lifespans. We need to change them after every month.

Pleated Filters:

A layman often regards pleated filters as expensive air filters. People consider Pleated filters to be strong air filters. A pleated filter captures dust more effectively. We need to change these filters after every 90 days.

Benefits To Change HVAC Filter:

Following are some benefits of changing the HVAC filter regularly:

Low Energy Bills:

Clogged filters exert more energy to filter air. As a result, such filters utilize more energy. Therefore, if we change filters regularly, it may result in less dissipation of energy and as a result, there will be a significant reduction in your energy bills.

Improved Air Quality 

A clean air filter can filter air more efficiently. Therefore, a clean filter may help establish a healthy air environment in the building. 

Improves System Quality:

Clean filters work more effectively as compared to dirty filters. As a result, new filters improve the overall optimum performance of the HVAC system.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we can say that periodic inspection of filters is important. It promotes a healthy environment and a more efficient HVAC system.

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