The general recommendation is to replace furnace filters at least once every 90 days. However, there are certain factors that can affect this timeline. For basic 1 to 3 air filters, brands usually suggest changing them every 30 to 90 days. If anyone in your household has allergies, you may want to use a better air filter or change it more often.
It's important to keep your air filter clean and replaced regularly to ensure clean air circulates throughout the house. Children are more sensitive to indoor air pollutants, so it's important to keep your home's air quality in check. The outdoor air quality can also have an impact on how often you need to change your air filter. After a period of smoky days or poor outdoor air quality, inspect the filter to see if it needs to be changed.
A dirty, unchanged air filter can cause problems in the heating and air conditioning unit, such as mold formation in the ducts or water damage.Most air filtration experts agree that heating filters have an overall lifespan. If your HVAC system has a single filtration system that uses an air filter for the air conditioning unit and boiler, replacements will be less frequent in winter than in summer. In desert climates, air conditioning filters all desert dust (in addition to temperatures of more than 90 degrees) to keep the air in your home pleasant to breathe. To guarantee that only clean air comes out of the air conditioning system, it is essential to change the filter before it gets clogged so you can breathe better. And if you buy an old system, plan to replace the filter more often to maintain its quality.
The only way to be sure how often the air filter should be changed is to have a visual inspection of the filter every month. Be careful not to confuse Honeywell oven filters with their HEPA air filters for purifiers, which last much longer. While a filter with a higher MERV rating should last longer, it can also restrict airflow in your home.
