How Often to Replace a Furnace Filter Made Simple

Have you wondered how a furnace filter can affect your home’s air quality, comfort, and energy efficiency? Surprisingly, this element is also the most neglected element of all HVAC maintenance work. Knowing how frequently you must change a furnace filter is vital for clean air, a quality system, and cutting energy bills.

For most homeowners looking for help in these areas, Sub Zero Temp Control will help, as we know it can be daunting. This blog aims to make that task more straightforward so that you can be confident when deciding what to do for a furnace filter replacement.

How Often to Replace a Furnace Filter?

A furnace filter is a fundamental part of the HVAC system, and it is not just a piece of material that one uses and then throws away. Here’s why you should be on the lookout for regular replacements:

• Provision Of Clean Air: They prevent the air in your home from being circulated with dust, dirt, and even allergens. If your furnace filters are clean, your indoor air is healthy, especially in places like Vancouver, WA, where many seasonal allergens exist.
• HVAC System Protection: A clogged filter limits air flow, making the furnace work extra hard to reach the required temperature. This makes some of the HVAC system’s fundamental parts susceptible to failure and further decreases the lifespan of its components. Increasing filter changeouts better protects assets and eliminate the need to replace parts or make repairs.
• Help in Increased Efficiency: A dirty filter makes it easy for the system to be inefficient, causing it to expend more energy than it would typically do for the same output and leading to inflated energy bills. As such, replacing the filter every time it is said to be appropriate will create less stress in the HVAC system and allow it to be more efficient.

Furnace Filter Replacement Cycle

Depending on the filtering equipment used and the characteristics of each home, the cycle may differ. Generally, these cycles are:

• Fiberglass Filters: Change after every 30 days. These are generally the cheapest but also very weak at filtering compared to the other options.
• Pleated Filters: Change them after 90 days. They can traverse smaller particles and have a better lifespan than fiberglass filters.
• HEPA Filters: Change after every 6-12 months. These are highly efficient filters and are great for homes with allergies and respiratory issues.

Moreover, always refer to the specific instructions provided by the manufacturer for your particular appliance unit. If you contact Sub Zero Temp Control, they will assist you in determining the correct filter for your HVAC system.

Factors That Affect the Frequency of Replacement

Although some general rules can be helpful regarding the frequency of furnace filter replacement, it must be noted that these will not always suffice given the custodian of the home maintenance. To illustrate, consider the following standard variables:

• Home Presence of Pets: Having pets in the family is an excellent source of joy and fun, but they also add some obstacles, especially to furnace maintenance, through the hair and dander that are likely to get attached to the filter. Therefore, if one owns at least one pet, replacing a filter at most every six months would be best.
• People with allergies or sensitivity to air quality: Air quality is crucial, especially if any family member suffers from allergies or asthma. Hence, changing a filter regularly, specifically regularly, reduces unwanted allergens floating in the air and provides more comfort to family members.
• House Members: Simply put, the more people there are, the more dust, mud, and debris there is. While a single individual home may not have to change much, multiple individual homes or more significant communities will call for more use than someone living alone.
• Location: If your residence is located along a busy street, next to a construction site, or where the pollen index is likely to be relatively high, dust will accumulate in your furnace filter much quicker than in other cases. It may be best for homes in such circumstances to consider having their filters checked or changed monthly.

Signs It’s Time to Replace Filter

However, it is not surprising that your filter will require more attention than anticipated even while the guidelines for replacement are being followed. Watch out for these indicators:

• Visible Dirt on the Filter: If your filter appears dusty, dirty, or blocked, it is burnt out, and you have to replace it as it has lost its functional nature. Thus, try replacing it when it loses its integrity to prevent airflow disruption.
• Reduced Airflow: When your filter is blocked, air cannot pass through it, or only a minimal amount passes through it. This results in your Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning (HVAC) system consuming so much energy as it tries to maintain the desired temperature. This is mainly because the filter continues weakening; when this happens, you will notice that the air circulated from the vents is weakening.
• Increased Energy Bills: If the air distributed through the vents is weakening, you know it’s time to change the filter, as it’s gotten dirty from keeping your home warm. It is not uncommon for an increase in usage to be directly associated with large electricity bills.
• Increased Dust in Your Home: If excessive dust accumulates on furniture or vents, it most likely correlates with the filter not being changed for an extended time and thus losing functionality. Changing the filter tends to help reduce the dust in enclosed spaces.
• Unusual HVAC Performance: If your heating system emits strange noises, does not heat evenly, or cycles short, the filter is most likely blocked.

Ways to Make Maintenance of The Furnace Filter Easier

You do not have to deal with complexities to ensure that your furnace filter is well maintained. You can consider the following measures:

• Create a Replacement Time Frame: Plan the measures you will take depending on your filter and your house’s needs. For example, if you have a pleated filter, set reminders to change it every three months.
• Check the Condition of Your Filter Every Month: You may not have to change your filter monthly, but keeping an eye on it will help you catch abnormalities you wouldn’t have otherwise.
• Have a Supply of Filters: Having a stock of filters makes it easy to use them as and when required. At Sub Zero Temp Control, we handle high-quality filters specially designed for your system.
• Buy the Correct Filter: All filters available on the market do not have the same efficiency. For example, MERV 15 filters can capture higher amounts of smaller particles but might not provide unimpeded airflow. We can help you select the most appropriate filters for your home and HVAC system at Sub Zero Temp Control.
• Ensure the Space Around Your Furnace Is Well Maintained: Surrounding your furnace area, dust and debris can get sucked in, causing lag in filters. Make it a practice to clean dirt regularly using a vacuum cleaner around your HVAC unit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Dedicated people, particularly homeowners, practically make blunders while dealing with furnace filter management. Here are some mistakes that are common and must be avoided:

• Not Updating the Filters: Normal life gets way too busy at times. However, not checking your furnace filter can drain the wallet. Set reminders for yourself and be more punctual to the task.
• Choosing a Filter That Does Not Fit: You must be careful when utilizing the right filter, as fitting the correct one is the solution. Speak to a professional who knows the job’s specifics or how your system functions.
• Using Filters More Than Once: Remember that disposable filters that fit the bill are single-use. Doing so reduces effectiveness and can damage your HVAC system.
• Second-guessing the Indicators: When you feel your system is not operating as intended, do not hesitate to check the indicators when in doubt. Changes such as replacing a dusty filter or performing a system tune-up could save the system from lagging.

In The End

Regularly replacing the furnace filter is not only a good habit but also an essential practice in ensuring the effectiveness and longevity of the HVAC system. Having a general practice, looking at specific properties of your home, or watching out for a clogged filter will increase the lifespan of the furnace and guarantee that it functions as intended on every occasion. Reach out to Sub Zero Temp Control for more on everything to do with your home’s comfort systems.