The air quality in your home relies greatly on the filter that you use to reduce dust and other pollutants from the air in your living space. This is essential because a filter that isn’t clean will block the airflow in your HVAC system, which can cause the unit to overheat. Having a dirty filter is actually one of the main reasons that an HVAC system is inefficient, so if you’re not changing your filters frequently enough, you’re likely to encounter issues sooner or later. That said, this guide will take a look at how often you should change your HVAC filters.
Average Lifespan of a Filter
Most HVAC companies recommend changing the filter in your heating and cooling system at least once every three months. This can vary based on factors like the respiratory conditions of you and your family, the location of your home, and the age of your HVAC system.
If your HVAC system is over 10 years old, it may need more frequent filter changes because even a little dust and debris clogging the filter could cause the unit to work harder, making it less efficient. Luckily, in Michigan, there are not a lot of dust storms. However, you may live in a high-traffic area or an area where construction is happening, which can lead to higher dust accumulation. In any of these situations, increase the frequency of when you change your HVAC system’s filter. In fact, doing it once every two months will be beneficial.
How Pets Affect Filter Changes
When many allergy sufferers think of pets, they also think of the dander that comes with them. Pet dander is the microscopic flakes of dead skin that many animals shed on a daily basis. While the skin flakes themselves don’t cause allergy issues, the proteins, when introduced to your respiratory system, will. Dander is invisible to most people, at least when looking with the naked eye, and it has an easy time becoming airborne because it’s so light.
When you have a pet, you can expect its dander to affect your HVAC system. Since dander is airborne, it will travel into your vents and eventually make it to the filters themselves. This means that pet parents typically have to change their filters more often than people in households without pets.
In addition to dander, pets also shed hair, and if your pet goes outside from time to time, dirt and debris from their bodies will also make it into your HVAC system. As a result of all of these conditions potentially reducing airflow in the HVAC system, we suggest that you change or clean your air filter at least every two months.
How Allergies Affect Filter Changes
Allergies and other breathing issues, like asthma or COPD, create sensitivities to dust and other debris found in your home. This can be difficult to manage, especially when your HVAC system is spreading irritants throughout your home instead of preventing them from being in your air. If you or your family members have respiratory issues, we suggest frequent filter changes to make sure that a dirty filter doesn’t irritate your breathing. Try to change out your HVAC filter every 20 to 45 days.
How the Size of Your Home Affects Filter Changes
Obviously, the larger your home is, the more your HVAC system is going to need to work to heat and cool your living space. This means that a larger home that needs to work more will need to have the air filters changed more frequently. However, this logic doesn’t work with every space, so it’s best to look at the filter and see exactly how dirty it is. We suggest checking the filter every two months. If it looks dirty, change it right away. If the filter doesn’t have dust and debris on it that could block airflow, then you can probably use it for another month.
The size of your home also entails the number of people who live in the space. People bring contaminants into your home, so the more people going in and out, the more likely the filtration system will catch these contaminants. Also, with continuous use of the AC and heater, there is more of a need to clean the filter frequently.
Knowing What Type of Filters You Need
In this part of our guide, we’re going to cover the types of filters that will help your HVAC system remove allergy-causing particulates from your home. In total, there are seven. However, some, like HEPA and UV filters, are powerful and may be overkill for some homes. Instead, we’ll focus on the ones you’ll most likely find in the majority of modern homes.
Fiberglass Filters
Some call these spun glass filters since that’s the primary material manufacturers use to create these. These are also the most common type of HVAC filter. The glass strands create a mesh, cotton-like surface that captures air particulates. However, these aren’t the most effective and only have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 5. This means that fiberglass doesn’t do an amazing job of capturing the really small particles.
Electrostatic Filters
Electrostatic filters are very effective at capturing many small particles because they create static electricity that literally magnetizes them to the filter surface. The filter works by creating a magnetizing effect that mixes paper and cotton fibers. For electrostatic filters, you can find both washable and disposable versions.
Pleated Filters
These use either cotton or polyester that’s folded in a corrugated pattern to create a layered filter. The folds and valleys of this type of filter provide a larger surface area that captures allergens and particles in the air. As a rule, the more pleats in a pleated filter, the more particles it will capture.
Washable Filters
Many consider washable filters to be the most sustainable variation of HVAC filters because of how reusable they are. As mentioned, you can find washable electrostatic filters. There are washable pleated filters on the market as well.
Cleaning a washable filter involves using a vacuum or rinsing them to dislodge any material that’s accumulated on the surface. It’s just important to allow the filter to fully dry before restoring it to your HVAC system.
Media Filters
Media filters are one of the larger types of filters used in HVAC systems. They consist of a papery material that’s folded into pleats, similar to pleated filters. This kind differs from pleated types of filters because of their metal cabinet housing, which allows for more pleats. Still, the surface areas of these are very large, with some filters having surface areas of 75 feet or more when you unfold them.
Contact a Reliable HVAC Technician
Changing your filters is essential for making sure that your HVAC system works smoothly and efficiently. At AJ Danboise Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, we have been taking care of the HVAC needs of Farmington Hills residents since 1925. We are a dependable option that knows how important the comfort of your family is to you. For installation, repairs, or servicing of your HVAC system, contact us today! We can also assist with all your indoor air quality needs.
