We recommend that you check your air filter every month. If it's dirty, replace it with a new one. Before you go to the store to buy a replacement filter, check the current filter size. Typically, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies suggest changing the air filter every 90 days or 3 months.
This can vary depending on the location of your home (e.g. dry and dusty climates), if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets at home, it is advisable to change the filter every 60 days or 2 months, and in the case of homes with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we recommend changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Vacation homes or empty houses that aren't used much can wait to change the filters every 9 to 12 months.
The more you use your home, the more often you'll need to change the air filter. During peak summer and winter months when air conditioning systems are operating at maximum capacity, filters that would normally last 90 days should be changed every 30 days for maximum efficiency. Air filters come in all shapes and sizes. The most common air filter size is disposable pleated filters of 1 thickness.
These should be changed from once a month to every 3 months. Compressed air filters are thicker, 4 to 5 inches, and have been the preferred choice of Zimmerman facilities for years. These provide cleaner air by filtering more small particles without restricting airflow. Under normal circumstances, compressed air filters can last 6 to 12 months until they need to be changed.
This is why it is important to keep ventilation grilles free of obstructions, for example, if the air filter is full of dust and dirt. Using an air filter with a MERV rating higher than that recommended by the boiler or air conditioner manufacturer can actually impair its performance. MERV 17 to MERV 20 filters are often used in surgical operating rooms, clean rooms, and other contexts that require absolute cleanliness. If you live in a “smaller” house, your air conditioners and ovens must pump less air with the same temperature change, which could mean fewer filter changes.
A dirty filter can cause poor air quality and inefficient system operation by reducing or preventing air flow, causing the entire system to work even harder to heat or cool the house (depending on the season). They are inserted in a specific place inside the return ventilation duct (usually a large, fold-out vent in the hallway or other place in the house). You can hear it now: Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician is giving you lessons on how to change the air filter. If your air filter usually lasts 90 days, you should change it every 30 days during peak summer and winter months when your system works most intensively.
Pleated filters are usually better than non-pleated ones as they allow more surface area to accumulate dust, pet hair, and other debris that floats in the air. Although each window air conditioner unit is slightly different, when you remove the air filter from the air conditioner if you bring it closer to a light source you can see if it's dirty or clogged - if you can't see light through it then it's time to change it! In general, filters with a MERV 16 rating or lower are considered suitable for residential, commercial and general hospital use as they trap and collect large and small particles such as dust, allergens and microorganisms from circulating through a building's air conditioning system. Now that you know how often you should replace your air filter, it's time to choose the right one for your home! Make sure to check your filter every month - if it's dirty then replace it with a new one - and consider changing it more frequently if you have pets at home or live in dry/dusty climates. Doing so will help maintain a clean and healthy environment for you and your family!.
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