Maintaining a clean furnace filter is essential for improving the air quality in your home and ensuring the efficiency of your heating system. Depending on your lifestyle and the type of filter you choose, you may need to change it more often. Factors such as the MERV rating, type of filter, and air quality in your area should be taken into account when deciding how often to replace your filter. The MERV rating is a minimum efficiency reporting value that ranges from 1 to 16, with ratings of 6 to 12 being best for residential furnaces.
Flat filters have less surface area than pleated filters, so they can clog more quickly. Pleated filters have deeper folds, which provide more square inches of space to trap dust and may not clog as quickly. The type of filter you choose will also affect how often you need to replace it. Flat filters, such as the Flanders front panel filter (available on Amazon), should be changed every 30 days.
Pleated filters, such as the Honeywell Ultra Efficiency filter (also available on Amazon), usually require fewer changes, usually every 90 days. The air quality in your area can also affect how often you need to change your filter. If you live in a temperate region, such as the Southwest, you may only need to change your filter every 90 days. However, if you live in an area with poor air quality, such as the north, you may want to change your filter every 30 to 60 days.
If you have pets in your home, their dander (tiny patches of skin found on animal fur and feathers) can get airborne and clog the oven filter. Long-haired pets will shed more hair than short-haired pets, but all will contribute to airborne pet dander. Even if no one in the household is allergic, it is advisable to change the oven filter frequently, every 30 days if you have several pets, so that the oven works efficiently. Remodeling projects can also generate a lot of dust and debris suspended in the air. During a remodeling project, it is recommended to change the boiler filter every 30 days or even more frequently to prevent construction-related dust from circulating around the house. In most cases, you should replace your furnace filter every three months or every 90 days.
If you can't remember to do this regularly, a good rule of thumb is to change your oven filter every time the seasons change. The basic consensus among HVAC professionals is that you should replace your furnace filter every 90 days or every three months. However, that depends on the thickness of the filter. Thicker filters have more room to accumulate dirt and dust, so you don't need to change them as often. Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling and Plumbing of Ohio recommends changing filters that are less than 2 inches thick every 30 to 90 days.
Three- or 4-inch filters can last 6 to 9 months, and filters up to 6 inches thick can be replaced once a year. No two homes are the same, so despite these guidelines, you may have to change your boiler filter more often than your neighbor. If you continue to use the oven when the filter is dirty, it can cause dust, hair, mold and other debris to accumulate inside the heating and cooling system. Maintaining a clean furnace filter is essential for improving air quality in your home and ensuring efficiency of your heating system. It's important to take into account factors such as MERV rating, type of filter, air quality in your area and presence of pets when deciding how often to replace your furnace filter.
