If you want to protect your air conditioner and heating system between regular maintenance and tune-ups, and want to improve your home’s air quality – you need to change your air filters.
Why should I change my air filter?
- A dirty air filter is a big reason for HVAC system failure. It restricts the air flow, and could burn out the motor over time, causing your system to overheat.
- Poor air quality can aggrevate asthma, allergies, and especially effects children’s allergies.
- It also increases energy bills, since your system has to work harder than it should.
- And finally, it increases your carbon footprint. Changing your air filter is a simple, inexpensive way to be environmentally responsible.
How often should I change my air filter?
It varies from house to house, but we recommended you change them every 3 months to ensure maximum efficiency and air quality. However, you may need to change them more often if you live in a high dust area, have pets that shed a lot, or live in a highly pollinated part of the country. These factors also affect which filters you should purchase.
How do I know which air filter to buy?
Keep these things in mind when choosing a new air filter:
- What is the resistance to air flow?
- How much dust and dirt will it hold?
- What is its efficiency level?
There is an air filter rating system used by most air filter manufacturers, known as the Minimum Efficiency Rating Value, or MERV. It assigns a number to the filter, and the higher the number, the more efficient the filter. For example, the filters with a MERV rating of 17-20 are used in clean rooms and pharmaceutical manufacturing – not something you necessarily need in a home. For most people, we recommend a filter with a MERV rating somewhere between 7 and 12.
For more information, click here to contact us. Our experts can help you pick out the right one for your home.