Air filters are essential in keeping your home’s air quality pristine. To maintain, you’ll inevitably run through many of them without realizing it. But now and then, you may ponder, “Why do they get dirty so fast?” Let’s go over some of the reasons for this and how you can increase the lifespan of your air filters.
Reason 1: Your Air Quality Is Subpar
Believe it or not, poor air quality can affect the lifespan of your filters. For example, if you have someone in your home who smokes and you own pets, those factors can influence how rapidly your filters clog. Cigarette smoke is not the only gas that can impair your air filters; other types of gas, including vaping, diffusing essential oils, burning candles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and cooking, can also do so.
If you notice your air filter is collecting dust early, remember things you may be doing to affect your air quality. Having pets or ensuring your cooking smoke is under control is something to be mindful of. Also, be aware of your environment. If it’s springtime and trees, flowers, and flora surround you – pollen could be an active instigator.
An at-home test can help you better understand your air quality. Try this DIY home air quality test.
Indoor Air Quality Test Kit – Schneider Labs
Solution: An air purifier can help with pollen, cigarette smoke, and pet dander, making it an excellent support system for your HVAC system. However, it can’t remove some things—namely VOCs. For those, you’ll need to ensure a carbon filter is present.
Investing in and consistently replacing your range hood filter is great for resolving cooking smoke. These will help manage any excess from your day-to-day cooking.
Reason 2: Mold is Present In Your Home
Another reason your air filters could be prematurely clogged is the presence of mold. If moisture finds its way to your AC, mold is possible. This can happen through condensation and leaks in your HVAC system.
Your system isn’t the only culprit that can create mold. You should be concerned if your home has uncontrolled moisture and poor air circulation.
Solution: If you conclude that mold is growing in your home and affecting your air filters, a dehumidifier can be an excellent solution to keep it under control once you remove it. They specialize in removing excess moisture from the air, making it difficult for mold to flourish.
Reason 3: Hot Temperatures are Wearing Your Air Filter
Summer weather might signal vacation time for you and your family, but your AC will work overtime during the season. Usually, during warmer weather, airborne pollution increases due to stationary air and extreme heat. The combination of more workload with increased contaminants creates a situation where your filter’s lifespan could be shortened.
Dust and debris can accumulate faster than usual. Not only will this affect your filter, but it will also put your HVAC system to task.
Solution: Depending on your situation, you may need to replace your air filters more frequently than usual during the summer. Remembering to do so on such a quick basis can be tricky when you’re busy planning family events. Try our auto-delivery Home Filter Club subscription program – it makes things simple. Just choose Subscribe & Save, select your delivery interval, and voila, you’re good to go!
In addition, to be energy efficient, you should monitor your thermostat settings and keep them within the 73-degree range. Check out the blog below for more tips on preparing for the switch from heating to cooling.
4 Tips For Switching From Heating To Cooling
Reason 4: Your Air Filters Aren’t High Quality.
It’s easy to prioritize other, more expensive issues and cut corners on your air filters. However, this could be one reason they aren’t holding up. Cheaper air filters are not only not built to last but also unreliable. Usually, these “economy” filters are called fiberglass filters, made of spun glass fibers framed by cardboard.
The saying “You get what you pay for” rings true. Although fiberglass filters have no issue catching large particles, they are ineffective at catching small particles. Not only will you have to replace your filter more frequently, but it will also benefit you less.
Solution: Although it may be more expensive, the return on your investment in a pleated air filter will be several-fold. A well-made filter will last longer (around 90 days) and be more useful. You’ll also want to ensure you get a sufficient MERV level for your needs. MERV, or the Minimum Efficient Reporting Value, is the rating system for the efficiency of air filters.
The higher the MERV rating, the more effective it is. For home use, selecting a MERV level between 8 – 13 is recommended. This rating range is excellent for handling pollen, dust, and pet dander, which may block a cheaper filter faster.
Filters Fast® brand filters are quality, durable, and highly efficient. Our filters also come in various sizes; if you cannot find yours, we can create customized air filters.
Shop Filters Fast® Air Filters
Quality Filters, Quality Life
Air filters are often overlooked as vital to home health and wellness. When we finally realize how important they are, it can become a concern if they aren’t as efficient as we’d like them to be. By considering these four factors—air quality, mold, warm temperatures, and filter quality—we can develop solutions to extend their lifespan.
For more information about air filters check out the following articles:
- 5 Tips to Make Your Air Filter Change Smoother
- Using AC Air Filters To Keep Cool
- Why Is Air Filtration Important During the Winter?
- Loving Your Heart: Air & Water Filtration Benefits for Heart Health
Brandon says
Hello Tom, thanks for reaching out to us. Determining the proper MERV rating for your system depends on a variety of factors. First, we’d recommend looking for your owner’s manual to see the maximum MERV the system can handle.
If you’re unable to find it, try searching for the system online. Next, you want to consider your environment, your household size, and if you or people living in your place have respiratory issues.
The lowest MERV that we carry are MERV 8 filters. This is because it is a great standard MERV filter. It allows great air quality, capturing pollen and other bothersome airborne pollutants without taxing your system. In most situations we’d recommend using a quality filter instead of fiberglass filters.
You’ll cut down on the amount of times you’ll need to replace the filter, boost your air quality, and protect your HVAC system more efficiently. Again, before you purchase, find out what your system can handle by checking your manual or finding out the information online. The most important thing is that you do what works for your home.
If you need any further support, feel free to contact us at [email protected], by phone 866-438-3458, or by text 704-228-9166. Take care!
Tom Lordi says
My home has three openings in the return ductwork for potentially placing filters.: the main one at the air handler and two smaller ones in the home. I am using the simple fiberglass ones in the home openings and a more efficient one in the air handler. I don’t want to over load the system so I frequently change the fiberglass ones. However I cannot readily find low MERV filters for these openings. It appears that your lowest filter is MERV 8. Do you have lower ones? What do you recommend? And how do I determine the proper MERV rating for my system? Thanks