When it comes to maintaining your home, people often forget about two unseen and often unheard appliances; your furnace and air conditioner. Besides it being important to maintain those pieces of equipment at least once a year, it is extremely important to change your filter at least once a month (depending on the type of filter or type of air cleaning equipment that is attached to your HVAC system).
Most filter systems are located to the right or left of the furnace, attached to the return air trunk. The air in the return air trunk is pulled from various areas of the home down through the large trunk and passes through the filter just before entering back into the furnace. It is very important to know the type of filter you have in place in order to know how often it should be changed. On average, if you have a 1” thick filter, it should be changed once a month. It could need changed more if you have pets, or if there is something that creates more dust or dirt in the air.
Keeping a good, clean filter in place has many benefits not only to your health, but to the health of your HVAC system. It is especially beneficial for people with bad allergies or asthma. From the perspective of the furnace or air conditioner, keeping a clean filter will keep dust, dirt, and hair out of the HVAC system, helping to prevent breakdowns that are caused solely by a dirty HVAC system.
Remember, there are many different types and sizes of filters, each with a recommended time of replacement. If you are unsure of when it is time to replace your filter, feel free to call and ask us!