Save Money and Change Your Air Filter

There are two reasons to change your HVAC (Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning) filters.

The first is to protect the HVAC system and the second reason is to improve a dwelling’s air quality.

So, how often should the filters be changed? Whenever they are dirty. A general rule of thumb is to change the filters every two to three months.

However this interval can vary quite a bit depending on whether or not you have pets or allergies and what your lifestyle is.

Pets

Pets are constantly shedding dander, hair, and other particles. This is a particular concern if you are among the 10 to 15 percent of the population that is allergic to animals.

Having a pet in a home will require changing the HVAC filter more often. As an example, if you change your filter every three months in normal circumstances, having a pet will require changing the filter every two months.

Allergies

About 40 million people in the U.S. are affected by allergies. Common allergens in an interior environment include pollen, mold spores, lint, air pollution, dust mites, and pet dander. Filters fine enough to trap these allergens will have to be changed more frequently.

The frequency of changing the filters becomes more critical. Partly, this is due to health reasons and also because the HVAC system will have to work harder to pull air through finer filters even without any dust in the filters. In this scenario expect to change the filter every 30 to 45 days.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle can have a significant effect on how often a HVAC filter should be changed. Consider two extreme examples.

In the first case a single man or women has a job that involves extensive travel, and this individual spends a relatively small amount of time at home.

In this instance the filter may only need to be changed every six months or even just once a year.

At the other end of the spectrum is a family of six that has two pets. Six people and two pets will stir up the interior equivalent of a dust storm. This family can expect to change the filter at least every month and a half.

If one member of the family has allergies, the filters may need to be changed as often as once a month.

Replacing your Winston-Salem home air filter every month is vital. Call Blaze Air Heating & Air Conditioning at (336) 788-3322 if you need assistance, or have any concerns.