The only way to determine how often you need to change your air filter is to inspect it every month. After a few months, you'll get an idea of how quickly it gets dirty. You may need to re-evaluate if you have a new pet or if the outdoor air quality has been poor. Generally, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing the filter every 90 days or 3 months.
This may vary depending on the location of your home, if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets in the house, it's best to change the filter every 60 days or 2 months. For households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we suggest changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Vacation homes or vacant homes that don't get much use can usually wait to change filters every 9-12 months.
The more you use your home, the more often you should change the air filter. As a rule of thumb for pleated air filters (such as those manufactured by FilterBuy), it's best to replace the filter every 90 days. As the filter traps more dirt, dust and allergens from the air, its efficiency decreases. An HVAC filter will only last one to three months on average, so it's important to keep track of when you installed them.
If you wait too long to change the filter, indoor air quality will suffer. Factors such as location, pets, and system age should be taken into consideration when determining when to change an old filter. It's also important to replace air filters after a major home renovation to keep the air clean and reduce the chances of costly maintenance repairs later on. If you use high-efficiency filters that are designed to filter out small bacterial, mold, and fungal particles, your HVAC system has to do extra work to circulate cool air in your home.
To determine if your air filter has trapped more than enough dirt and needs a change, look for signs such as dust and dander being released into the air. The fabric of the air filters included in this class makes it much more difficult for the HVAC system to operate smoothly. In smaller homes, the HVAC system has to move less air, which can mean less frequent air filter replacements. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), “indoor air quality is just as important as outdoor air quality”.
Changing your air filter regularly helps provide healthier indoor air quality and reduces the chances of costly maintenance repairs later on. In conclusion, it's best to change your home's HVAC air filter every 90 days on average. If you have pets in the house or live in a dry and dusty climate, consider changing it more often - every 60 days or 2 months for households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions; every 20-45 days for single pet households; and every 9-12 months for vacation homes or vacant homes that don't get much use.
