The furnace filter is an essential component of your home's heating and cooling system. Its main purpose is to trap airborne contaminants, such as allergens, spores, mites, and other particles, to keep them out of the system and improve air quality. However, the tradeoff is that system performance decreases with these filters. Pleated filters can add more resistance to airflow, making the system more expensive to operate and potentially causing the evaporator coil to freeze.
Depending on your lifestyle and the type of furnace filter you choose, you may want to change it more often. Many filter manufacturers recommend how often their product should be replaced. To change the filter, loosen the screws that hold the filter cover in place if it is located behind a ventilation grill or simply pull the filter out of a slot if it is on the side of the furnace. Have a large garbage bag ready for disposing of the old filter.
Then insert the replacement filter into the empty slot and mark your calendar for when it needs to be changed again. Marking the calendar every 90 days or trying to remember when you last changed the filter can be a challenge, which is why many furnace manufacturers recommend changing them at the start of each new season. This is true even in hot climates where you're likely to use the air conditioner. A clean filter is necessary to prevent dust from passing through the air conditioning system, where it can accumulate in the internal coils and reduce efficiency. If you live in a temperate region, such as the Southwest, you may only turn on your furnace a few times during winter, and a 90-day schedule might be perfect for you.
However, people in colder climates whose furnaces are not interrupted for months may want to change their filter every 30 to 60 days, as more air passes through it and clogs up more quickly. Clogged filters not only have a negative impact on home air quality but also force the furnace to work harder to draw air into the system, shortening its life. Your furnace owner's manual will specify the best MERV rating for your furnace, and in general, filters with a MERV rating of 6 to 9 should be changed every 90 days, while those with a MERV rating of 10 to 12 should be changed every 60 days. Most furnace filters come in two types: flat and pleated. Flat filters can clog more quickly because they have less surface area than pleated filters. The deeper the folds, the larger the surface area of the filter and more space it will have to collect airborne particles, so it may not clog as quickly as a flat filter.
A flat filter such as Flanders Front Panel Filter (available on Amazon) is designed to be changed every 30 days. Thanks to their folds, filters such as Honeywell Ultra Efficiency Filter (also available on Amazon) have more square inches of space to trap dust and usually require fewer changes—usually every 90 days. Our furry friends play an important role in our lives but pet dander (tiny patches of skin found on animal fur and feathers) can get airborne and clog up your furnace filter. Long-haired pets will shed more hair than short-haired pets but all will contribute to airborne pet dander. Even if no one in your household is allergic, it's advisable to change your furnace filter frequently—every 30 days if you have several pets—so that your furnace works efficiently. The entire process of sanding, scraping, and installing floors involved in remodeling generates a lot of dust and debris suspended in the air.
During a remodeling project, change your furnace filter every 30 days or even more frequently to prevent construction-related dust from circulating around your home. The items may contain affiliate links that allow us to share revenue from any purchase made. Registering or using this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Service. Furnace filters improve air quality in your home and protect your HVAC components from dust and dirt. Without a filter, your HVAC equipment would get dirty, negatively affecting its performance (and probably increasing your utility bills). The filters are designed to trap dust and particulates suspended in the air as it passes through them into your furnace system. The four-inch-thick air filter has an advantage over one-inch ones in terms of longevity, airflow, and maximum filtering potential.
If you have any questions about furnace filter efficiency or if you want to repair or install a heating system in your home contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning—your St. Louis HVAC experts. As a general rule, to keep allergy sufferers as comfortable as possible, change your furnace filter every 30-60 days. Air conditioning systems are not designed to improve air quality in your home but filters are important for both furnaces and air conditioners to work properly. While a filter with a higher MERV rating will provide better protection for your home air than one with a lower MERV rating it can also affect performance of your furnace. Choose the thickest air filter you can for maximum efficiency but never try to force an oversized filter into place.
