How often do you change your air filter?

How often should you change your air filter?

These are answers most people don’t know—to a question they don’t often ask. Most don’t even think about their air filters, let alone change them.

So, when should you change air filters for optimal health, safety, and expense?

What is an Air Filter?

An air filter is a device that prevents dust, particles, and contaminants from filling the air in your home. There are a variety of air filter styles that can be purchased for air purifiers, refrigerators, humidifiers, air conditioners, heating units, and car cabins. Air filters come in four main materials, including fiberglass, polyester and pleated, HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestance), and machine-washable.

In order to promote and improve indoor air quality (IAQ), you want to ensure you use high-quality air filters in your cars, HVAC systems, humidifiers, and refrigeration units. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers has IAQ standards to promote energy efficiency and safe air purification.

Why Change Your Air Filter?

Dust and other air pollutants that spread through clogged air filters are bad for your health, bad for your home and bad for your wallet.

Health

If you or anyone in your family has allergies, asthma, or an immune disorder, dirty air in the home or car can exacerbate these symptoms. Have you ever gotten sick the day after the heating turns on in your house? Occasionally it’s because your body is adjusting from the cool to the heat, but more often it’s because of a release of dust and particles through an old, unclean air filter in the heating system.

Those with pets should also be aware of the air in their home, as pet dander can accumulate in HVAC units and spread allergens throughout the household. This can impact respiratory health long-term.

Energy and Efficiency

When the filter is dirty, the unit has to work harder to do its job. This means that it uses more energy, overheats, and gets clogged. This overwork causes your energy bill to skyrocket and can damage your unit. Overheating and clogging often cause necessary, expensive repairs and, in the worst case, even fires.

According to the Department of Energy, consistently replacing your air filter can save 5-15% of your utility costs per year. Similarly, air filters are an easy and cost-effective way to lengthen the life of your heating system by 5-10 years.

When Should You Change Your Air Filter?

There is no hard and fast rule on when to change your air filter. However, there are some general guidelines that can help keep you and your family happy and healthy.

When you purchase an air filter, it will likely come with a recommended replacement time. When in doubt, go by that. Energy Star recommends changing an air filter a minimum of every three months, with the ideal being every month—especially in the wintertime. However, it depends on your house and your equipment.

Consider your home’s environment. If you have pets or a family member with allergies, you should change the filters at least twice the recommended amount in order to fully remove allergens from the home.

If you have a larger house or live in a wooded area, it’s also recommended to change your filters more frequently. Larger homes call for harder working units, and wooded areas often attract more dust and pollen into the home (which similarly makes the unit work harder). The harder your unit has to work, the faster it will get clogged.

Think of an air filter as an inexpensive but effective tune-up. It will clean out your unit without extensive cost or effort, and it ensures that the unit will continue to run problem-free until the next check-up.

You want a high-quality, low-cost air filter that removes particles, resists airflow and improves the expected life of your HVAC, refrigerator, air purifier, humidifier, furnace, or car. Home Revolution offers replacement filters for a variety of brands in order to detoxify the air and exhilarate your home and mind. A clean house is a peaceful mind.

Home Revolution uses a powerful, simple style of manufacturing and supply chains that give you clean air while also being earth-friendly, keeping us all breathing and living healthily. Visit our Breathe product list to find the air purifier that will fit your unit, your home, and your lifestyle.