As homeowners, HVAC maintenance is often the most overlooked. Ordering and replacing the air filter in your home regularly is not at the top of our to-do list. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
What if we told you there was an easier way?
What is an air filter?
Furnace filters, HVAC air filters, AC filters, and air purifier filters are all the same thing. These nifty little devices help protect your HVAC system and keep the air quality in your home healthy for you and your family. Neglecting to change them can lead to costly repairs and health effects.
Dirty air filters force the fan motors and other components in your HVAC to work harder to heat or cool your home. Putting off this essential home maintenance task can lead to frequent maintenance and replacement of your home’s heating and cooling system.
Air filters also affect how comfortable your home feels. If you’ve set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature but notice that your system seems to have to run longer and more often to achieve that temperature, your air filter could be the reason.
What do air filters do?
For lack of a better word, air filters filter the air in your home. They help keep your heating and cooling system running smoothly and improve indoor air quality throughout your home. They may also impact the energy efficiency of your systems. Depending on the air filter you use, it can capture pollen, dust mites, plant spores, mold spores, auto emissions, pet dander, tobacco smoke, bacteria, virus carriers, and more.
What your filter will be able to capture will depend on its MERV rating.
What is a MERV rating, and how does it relate to air filter effectiveness?
MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is designed by experts to help you compare how well different filters trap airborne particles. Other air filter ratings include FPR (only at The Home Depot) and MPR (exclusive to 3M Filtrete).
The higher the MERV number, the more particles the filter can capture. Here’s a quick overview of each.
- Low (1–4): Offers the most basic filtering. It will capture larger particles like dust and pollen.
- Mid-range (5–8): Will capture finer particles like mold spores and pet dander.
- High (9–12): Traps even finer particles, including some bacteria and smoke.
- Top (13–16): These filters can remove viruses, bacteria, and the tiniest particles. MERV 13 filters are usually used in homes with high air quality needs, and anything above is usually only used in hospitals or labs.
Remember that a higher MERV isn’t always the best option for your system. Ratings above MERV 11 will reduce airflow, which can be bad if your HVAC setup isn’t designed for it. Regarding MERV ratings, choose the MERV that your system recommends and your family’s air quality needs.
To learn more about choosing the right MERV, check out our In-Depth MERV Ratings Guide.
How many air filters do I have?
Typically, there is an air filter for every level of your home, but there might only be one for smaller homes.
Larger homes must circulate a larger volume of air. More air means more filters, and even more frequent filter changes.
If you’re unsure how many filters your home has, take a walkthrough and note the number of return vents you see. Return vents can be small or large and are usually located in the wall or ceiling. A return grille made of steel or metal often covers them.
Air filters can also be located in the furnace system and usually protected by a panel. If you have two systems, you will have a filter for each.
Where are air filters located?
Air filters are commonly located in the furnace or a return in the ceiling or wall. If you have a wall-mounted unit, it could be on the front panel. If you’re unsure where your filter is located, inspect every possible area or consult your owner’s manual.
When should I change my air filter?
How long do air filters last? Several factors may impact the lifespan of your air filter. The first thing you’ll need to consider is the type of filter and depth. Air filters are made of different materials and media, and come in many different sizes, affecting their capability and capacity.
Here’s a filter change guide based on filter type and depth:
- For fiberglass filters that are 1-inch thick, change them every 30 days.
- Change 1-inch pleated air filters every 1-3 months or 30 to 90 days.
- Pleated filters with a 2-inch depth, replacing them every 4-6 months, is recommended.
- 4-inch depth pleated filters should be replaced every 6-12 months.
- Replacing pleated 5-inch air filters every 9-12 months will suffice.
Do you need to change your air filter every three months? While this is a standard guideline, the conditions in your home can shorten or extend the life of your filter.
- Filter Type: More basic filters, like fiberglass, require more frequent filter changes than pleated ones.
- Use: How often is your HVAC system running? Summer and wintertime weather will cause your AC and furnace to kick on more frequently, running air through the filter more often. This can clog your filter much faster.
- Environment: Pets and high dust levels can contribute to filling up your filter faster.
- Other factors:
- The number of people living in your home
- The number of pets in your home
- Frequent cooking
- Smokers in the home
- Asthma and allergies
- Illness
- Age of the dwelling
Pets, allergies, and even frequent HVAC use in the summer and winter may mean you’ll need to swap out your filters often.
Having pets in the home has many benefits; however, the amount of pet hair and dander they produce usually leads to more frequent filter changes. While we love them, pets also introduce extra dust, dirt, bacteria, and insects into our homes.
Frequent filter changes are necessary if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or asthma. Air filters entrap microscopic allergens and triggers in the air so they do not continue to circulate throughout the home.
You may not have noticed, but hot summers and cold winters lead to more frequent system runs to ensure your home stays at the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. When your system runs, it pulls in air from inside, cooling or heating it, and blowing it back into your home.
Conversely, pet-free and allergy-free homes can allow you to go longer between changes.
What affects my indoor air quality?
Where your home is located, your cleaning habits, and even your daily activities can negatively or positively impact the air quality and how often you’ll need to change your filters.
For example:
- Smoking
- Burning scented candles often
- Using a wood-burning fireplace or stove
- Cooking
- Heavy use of personal care products like hairspray
- Frequent use of cleaning agents
- New construction
- Outdoor air quality that’s poor, like smog or wildfires
Whether you realize it or not, these activities or events can affect indoor air quality.
According to the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), filters should be visually inspected monthly and changed based on manufacturer recommendations or, at minimum, twice a year at the beginning of heating and cooling cycles. As a rule of thumb, filters should be changed more frequently due to outdoor air conditions or particulate loads in the air.
Check your filter regularly and change it when needed. This will help you save time and money in the long run.
Does HVAC usage affect how often I should be changing my filter?
Each time your system runs, air passes through the filter, affecting the frequency at which you need to change it.
If you live in a hot climate like Florida during the summer, your system must run frequently to keep your home cool and comfortable. This allows more air to pass through the filter, trapping more particles.
If you live or have a vacation home in a more temperate climate, and your system barely needs to run to keep its desired temperature, you can go a bit longer between filter changes.
It’s simple: more air flow means more filter changes.
How do I know if my air filter needs to be changed?
How often you change your filter is unique to your household’s needs. If you’re unsure of what frequency you should be changing your air filter, a visual inspection every month or so will help!
If your air filter has turned grey or has visible dirt and debris, it’s time to change it. A clogged air filter will reduce airflow from your vents, so you may also notice more dust around your home or start to smell a musty odor. If you notice any of these things, it’s time for a change.
Please don’t wait until it’s too late! Putting off changing your air filter can lead to a sudden spike in your heating and cooling bills. At this point, you’re wasting money when you could have simply changed your filter.
According to the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), filters should be visually inspected monthly and changed based on manufacturer recommendations or, at minimum, twice a year at the beginning of heating and cooling cycles. As a rule of thumb, filters should be changed more frequently due to outdoor air conditions or particulate loads in the air.
Why is changing your air filter important?
Changing your air filter isn’t just about having clean air; it’s essential for helping your home feel comfortable and getting the most out of your HVAC system for as long as possible.
Something as simple as changing your air filter can help increase your energy efficiency. Clogged filters restrict airflow through your system, making your HVAC work even harder and using more electricity. According to the US Department of Energy, replacing a dirty air filter can increase your system’s efficiency 5-15%.
Replacing your filter will help make your HVAC system more reliable. Imagine having your AC go out when it’s unbearably hot outside or your furnace breaking on a chilly day in the winter. Isn’t that enough motivation to change your filter?
Can regular filter inspections and replacement help you save money?
Absolutely! It may seem absurd because you’ll be spending money on a replacement air filter, but the cost of the filter is minuscule compared to repairing or replacing your unit.
A replacement air filter can cost anywhere from $5-$60.
The average repair cost for an HVAC system can be $150 or up to $1,500.
In the US, replacing a system can cost about $8,000 for a central AC and gas-powered furnace or more than $20,000 for high-efficiency or zone systems.
Purchasing filters every 1-3 months may seem excessive, but it will help you save more money in the long term.
What happens if I don’t change my air filter?
Several things can happen if you do not change your filter. Here are a few possibilities:
- The air in your home can become stagnant.
- It can cause foul odors.
- It can make you sick. Learn more about Sick Building Syndrome.
- Damage to your HVAC, furnace, and/or air conditioner.
- High energy bill.
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Possible Solutions
Regardless of what filter you use, changing your filter regularly is most important.
It is ultimately up to you how often you replace your filters, but it is essential to consider the impact of not changing them. Here are a few solutions to help you stay on top of this chore.
Sign up for an Air Filter Subscription Service
Signing up for a filter subscription is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to stay on top of making sure you’re changing your filter when you should be. As a bonus, having to remember what size filter you need is done for you. You’ll have to find your filter once, figure out how often you want them sent to you, and select Subscribe.
But wait, there’s more! Filters Fast offers up to 10% off and FREE shipping on every subscription order. It’s a no-brainer – you’ll never have to remember to order your filters and save money! What are you waiting for?
Filter Reminders
Are you not a fan of signing up for a subscription? Product Reminders will do the trick! There are two ways to sign up for reminders with Filters Fast!
- When you check out at FiltersFast.com, you will automatically be enrolled to receive product reminders for the filters you order.
- Log in to Your Account
- Find Product Reminders on the menu
- Find the product(s) you want reminders for
- Select the “Reminder Frequency” from the drop-down, and it will automatically save.
- Check your email for your reminders.
Buy in Bulk
Bulk buying is best if you want to save money without the commitment. Although buying in bulk has a higher upfront cost, the per-filter cost is much lower than purchasing a one-off filter.
Think about it—when you buy filters in a six-pack, you’ll have filters on hand, so you can change your filter when needed. Our Filters Fast® Brand filters are made in the United States and are available in a convenient pack of six. Learn more about our brand.
About Filters Fast® Brand Filters
Keep your filters near where you need to change them, and set a reminder on your phone to go off every 30-60 days. When you get the reminder, all you’ll have to do is grab a filter from the box and change it.
Getting low on replacement filters? Reordering is easy at Filters Fast.
The Future of Filter Changes is in Your Hands
It’s simple—change your filter, change your life. No matter how you choose to keep up with filter maintenance, Filters Fast is here to help you get your filters and make filter changes as easy as possible.
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