{"id":19346,"date":"2018-01-15T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2018-01-15T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filtersfast.com\/blog\/?p=19346"},"modified":"2018-01-15T10:46:27","modified_gmt":"2018-01-15T15:46:27","slug":"the-one-thing-on-your-move-in-checklist-that-might-be-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.filtersfast.com\/blog\/the-one-thing-on-your-move-in-checklist-that-might-be-missing\/","title":{"rendered":"The One Thing on Your Move-in Checklist That Might Be Missing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you recently move into a new apartment or home? The former dwellers may have taken all of their stuff, but that doesn\u2019t mean that every trace of them is really gone.<\/p>\n

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While changing your air filters upon move-in is not always top of mind, it should be one of the first things you check. In most cases, filters aren\u2019t changed before the former dwellers move out, which means their dirty filter could be pumping nasty particles into your new home.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the things that could be in your new home\u2019s air filters once you move-in:<\/p>\n

-Skin cells<\/p>\n

-Particles of any fragrances the old tenants used<\/p>\n

-Dust particles<\/p>\n

-Bacteria<\/p>\n

-Mold<\/p>\n

-Allergens<\/p>\n

-Pollen<\/p>\n

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Yuck! Right? Another thing that you also may want to check is what type of air filter and what MERV rating it is.<\/p>\n

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Need to know for Apartment Dwellers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most apartment buildings do not invest a lot in their air filters. They usually supply their tenants with flimsy paper filters for the basic purpose of keeping dust off the equipment, not protecting you. \u00a0These cheap paper filter will let particles like mold, allergens, bacteria and certain types of pollen slip right through right through the filter into your apartment\u2019s air and right into your lungs.<\/p>\n

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Need to know for New Homeowners:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In most cases many homeowners select the MERV rating they think they need. But all MERV ratings do not fit everyone. If the former homeowners had a family of 4 with 3 long hair dogs, they may have selected a higher MERV rating. Your job will be to decide what MERV rating will be best for you and how frequently you will need to change it.<\/p>\n

Figure out which air filter is right for you here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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One last thing. Do you know when you\u2019re supposed to change your air filter? You\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

In most cases apartment dwellers are not responsible for changing air filters, that\u2019s usually the maintenance team\u2019s job. But it is a good idea to be aware of the state of your filter. If you see that your air filter is extremely dirty, you should be able to request a new filter from your apartment\u2019s leasing office.<\/p>\n

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For homeowners, especially first-time homeowners, you should be keeping track of when you need to change your air filter. The rule of thumb is to change your air filter is 3 months, but just like MERV ratings, this is not the case for everyone. Here\u2019s a quick reference guide for when you should be changing your filters:<\/p>\n