When Do You Replace Your HVAC Filter?
With household dust as the theme for this month’s blog posts, we wanted to address one important thing you can do to reduce dust in your home. It’s the air filter in your furnace/air conditioner.
The filter you use for your heating and cooling unit is important. The basic filters are cheap, but they do little to remove dust and allergens from the air. Consider a higher quality filter with a higher MERV rating https://www.bobvila.com/articles/merv-ratings/. These ratings go from 1-16, with the higher rating allowing fewer airborne particles through. Be sure to read the article from Bob Vila’s website for details on getting the right MERV rating for your system. Highest is not always best!
Most furnace manufacturers recommend replacing your air filter once a month. Not only will this help reduce dust, but a clean air filter is easier on your furnace and air conditioner. If you have pets, it’s super important to change your filters regularly because of the dander and fur they produce.
Be sure to also have your furnace and air conditioner maintained on an annual basis. These units collect dust inside that you will most certainly smell when you first turn on your furnace in the fall. The accumulation can make for a stinky start to the heating season!
Just like regular cleaning of you home, regular replacement of the air filter, will help keep your home and the air in it, fresher and healthier. To make it easy to remember, we always replace ours on the same day each month!