Air Filter Replacement

Changing the air filters in your HVAC system is an essential practice that ensures clean air circulates throughout your home, removes allergens, and helps with your overall air quality. There are several important factors for changing an air filter and why you should do it regularly. Without a clean air filter, your HVAC unit works harder and is prone to more breakdowns and costly repairs. Many homeowners are unaware of how often air filters need to be replaced, leaving their system vulnerable to damage. Vent Tech Chimney and Vent Cleaning can get you on a regular maintenance schedule to help keep your furnace operating at it's peak condition.

Why is changing your filter so important?

Air filters trap pet hair, dust, and other irritating particles and allergens so that your air conditioning system delivers fresh, clean air back into your home. Eventually, the filter traps so much dust and debris that air can’t properly filter or travel to the HVAC unit, leading to:

• Higher energy bills—When your filter is clogged it makes your HVAC system work harder and causes it to run for longer periods of time, increasing the energy your home uses.
• Health concerns—If a filter is clogged and not working properly, dust and allergens can cause allergies and respiratory illnesses.
• HVAC System failure—Your system has to work harder to pull air through a clogged filter, and this continuous strain on the unit can cause it to fail, resulting in expensive repairs or replacements of your unit.

What if I don't know how to change my filters?

You should ideally change your air filter every  one to three months, however, there are certain factors to consider when determining when to change out an old filter based ont he following factors.

• Type of air filter—Some air filters are more effective than others. Lower quality fiberglass filters are more affordable, but they don’t last long and need to be changed every month. Pleated air filters are high-quality filters that are very effective in trapping particles and last up to 90 days.
• Pets—If you own pets, changing your filters more often is recommended to keep your air clean.
• Allergies—If you have allergies, the smallest amount of dust or debris in the air can trigger an allergic reaction. To ensure your system is working optimally, you may need to change your filters more often.
• Home use—Homes that use their HVAC system daily need more frequent air filter replacements than a vacation home that doesn’t filter air regularly. If your home’s heating and cooling system only run a few times a year, you may replace the air filters less often.

While the above factors affect the frequency of air filter replacement, you should visually inspect your HVAC filters regularly to check for excess dust buildup. If the dirty air filter is completely layered with dust and debris, it’s a good idea to change the filter even if it hasn’t reached the end of its recommended lifespan. Call Vent Tech Chimney and Vent Cleaning to have us look at your individual system and offer recommendations on how we can help keep your home healthy with proper filter replacement.