Want the short answer? See our FAQ on "How often to change the air filter".
Every once in a while we’re asked what is the most important thing that Long Island area homeowner's can do to protect their air conditioning and heating system between their seasonal tune-ups? That’s an easy one; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter. Replacing furnace and return air filters is extremely important to the proper performance of your HVAC system, plus your home's air quality. Studies show that indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental health risks? We know it's the last thing on your mind, but this is really important stuff. Changing the air filters is not a tough thing to do for most Long Island homeowners, but there are typically two obstacles to actually getting it done:
- Understanding just how often to replace your furnace or air conditioner filter.
- Replacing them at the proper time.
When To Change Your Air Filters
Most filters have a recommended guideline on the packaging. It may instruct "Lasts up to 3 months" or "Change filter every 90 days". Look around at the store and you should see that some are engineered to only last a single month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have created media air cleaners with filters meant to be changed once every 6-12 months. The industry standard seems to be once every 3 months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we recommend our customers to go by. If it's dirty, change it! A dirty air filter can exacerbate or cause damage to costly parts, like your compressor, so it's recommended to change it out more often than not. If you want to listen to the manufacturer's recommended limit, we suggest writing the date on the filter when you swap it out, and setting a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar. Also note that your filter manufacturer sometimes has a different recommendation from your HVAC system manufacturer.
Figuring out how often to change your air filters can depend on several factors:
- Which air filter your system requires
- The overall air quality of your Long Island area home
- Pets – Dogs, cats, etc.
- Number of people in the home
- General air pollution in the Long Island area or construction taking place nearby
For the common 1"-3" air filters, the manufacturers basically say to change them every 1 or 2 months, which is really a great rule of thumb. Still, general rules aren't always for everybody. If you put up with light to moderate allergies, you might need to upgrade your air filter or change them even more frequently than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you're in a low population area, own a infrequently occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area with little auto traffic, changing your air filter every 12-months may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter fast. Clearly, the air filter is just doing its job by containing pet hair and dander, but exceptionally dirty filters can cause weak HVAC performance.
In summary:
- Seldom used 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
- More than one pet or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days
How To Remember To Change Your Air Conditioner's Air Filters
Matz-Rightway offers a simple solution; 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. Plus, your email subscription preferences let’s you set a reminder to change your Long Island area home's air filter every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or a specific date of your choice.
How to replace your return air filter
Most people know how to replace the air filter in their unit, but some homes have another filter in the return ductwork. Whether you have one or not is dependent on the HVAC manufacturer's recommendation. Your unit is made to handle a certain amount of pressure in your home, and the more filters you have the more the blower motor works, which can reduce the life of your system if it isn't designed for it. Finding out whether you have a return filter and replacing it is a piece of cake:
- Go to your return air vents.
- Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to pull off the wall.
- Look for a filter. If one is in place, pull it out and note the size.
- Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer.
- If filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer's recommended filter of the same size and type.
Crazy as it may seem, filters can dramatically alter your home's airflow, which is why we recommend asking the manufacturer. A higher quality HEPA filter that is designed to catch finer dust will restrict airflow more than a cheaper filter. With restricted airflow comes more pressure on your system, so you ought to verify that your HVAC system was made to handle it. Otherwise, you might experience lowered heating and cooling efficiency in your home, and HVAC parts may break down much faster than normal.