Have you changed your Phoenix home’s air filters recently? If you can’t remember the last time that you did, it is likely overdo. Often homeowners forget to check their air filters because they are typically not in a place that you see every day. Changing your home’s air filters help to prevent future system issues and will allow your HVAC to continue receiving and circulating clean air. It can also help people who have allergies and are sensitive to contaminants in the air, amongst other benefits. How often should you change your home’s air filters? We are going to answer that question and explain why maintaining clean air filters is key to your HVAC system’s functionality and you and your family’s health.
How Often Should you Change Your Home’s Air Filters?
A typical manufacturer recommends replacing the air filters in your home every 30 to 90 days; however, this depends on the filter’s lifespan and other environmental factors within the home. We recommend, especially during the summer months, that each air filter should be changed out every 30 days.
This should be an easy task and make all the difference in your HVAC system’s lifespan and your family’s health. Here are some tips that we find helpful:
- Set a reminder in your phone to change on the 1st of the month. During seasons when you are inside more, you may want to set the reminder on the 15th of every month as well, so you can check and make sure the filters don’t need changed sooner.
- Take a picture of your filters so you know what size and what kind are best for your home. If you’re not sure, contact a Phoenix HVAC professional and they can help you.
- Have a stock of clean air filters available so you don’t have to run to the store each time a new one is needed.
Why Are Your Home’s Air Filters Important?
How often you should change your home’s air filters really depends on the home, location and outside factors, pets, and behaviors; however, one thing that is universal, is how important having clean and unobstructed filters is for your home and air conditioning, to run smoothly.
The air filters in your home, filter your home’s air. It’s that simple. Air filters keep dust and pollen out and are also tasked with keeping larger particles and materials out of your HVAC system, in turn, saving your system from mutilation. Dirty, unchanged filters are a leading cause of issues with Phoenix HVAC systems.
When you change your air filter frequently, it helps remove harmful particles from the air such as pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, bacteria, micro allergens and more. Removing these harmful pollutants has massive health benefits for you and your family. Changing your air filter regularly, around once a month (every 30 days), helps keep your HVAC system running at its highest efficiency, which will help to lower your energy bills and extend the life of your system.
Changing your home’s air filters is important for many reasons, we explain more below:
- Health benefits that can help your family breathe easier. An unchanged and dirty or soiled air filter means that the blower in your HVAC system is spreading unclean, airborne particles throughout your home. By not changing your air filter regularly, your home’s indoor air quality can suffer. Breathing in this air can have a harmful impact on your health by causing allergies and making asthma and other respiratory problems much worse.
- Lower energy costs and improve your system’s efficiency. The air filter’s job is to capture all the dust and particles in your home’s air before that air gets to the HVAC system. When you have a dirty filter, it makes your heating and air conditioning system work harder to move the air. Airflow is one of the most important factors that affects the efficiency of your system. When the filter is obstructed, it reduces the airflow to the system, forcing the system to work harder to heat or cool. This will wear down your system and increase energy costs. According to the Department of Energy, a dirty air filter can increase energy costs by up to 15%.
- Shorten the lifespan of your HVAC system. Changing your home’s air filter regularly will not only improve your indoor air quality and lower your energy bills, it will also help to extend the life of your HVAC system and prevent costly repairs. A blocked and dirty filter means that your system must work extra hard to heat and cool your home. Not only does this lead to inefficiency and larger utility bills, it can also cause your system to overheat and burn out. The extreme strain placed on the blower and the entire system can lead to the system breaking down completely.
If you find yourself with a HVAC system that is not performing as it should, notice increased energy bills, or your family seems to always be sick, the first thing to check is your home’s air filters. As we said, how often you should change your home’s air filters depends on the home, but making sure they are not blocked or dirty is usually step one to troubleshooting any HVAC issue.
Arizona Comfort Specialists are here for you and your home. Whether you have HVAC issues, need a cooling tune-up, or something else, we can help. Contact us today.
