How Often To Change Furnace Air Filter

How Often Should You Change Your Furnace Filter

how often you need to change your furnace filter in your home - filterbuy

When it comes to maintaining a good for you central air system in your firm, most homeowners are enlightened that they need to regularly change their Air-conditioning air filters. However, they may not be enlightened that they also need to modify their furnace filter at regular intervals.

All fundamental air systems with a heating component have a "furnace."

The furnace is part of your HVAC air filtration organisation responsible for taking cold air in and heating information technology up earlier it'southward blown throughout the rest of the domicile through the air handler.

Furnaces - the heating component of your primal air system - are made of several primary parts that are responsible for heating the air within of your abode. The heat exchanger, combustion sleeping room, and air blower help to condition the air. Your furnace filter helps to clean it.

So, how often should yous really change your furnace filter? Let's take a deeper look at your habitation's furnace filter, what it does, and why it's of import to regularly change your furnace filters.

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Beginning, What Does a Furnace Filter Practice?

Before we get into the details surrounding when and how ofttimes to change furnace filters, let's discuss why they are needed in the first place.

The furnace filter is used to clear the air of contaminants and dust just before air is pulled into the furnace system. The air passes through the filter material where contaminants are trapped. This keeps contaminants out of the furnace and HVAC equipment that's farther down the line.

Without a filter the furnace would end to operate rather apace because the equipment would be likewise gunked upwards to operate properly.

There are besides a couple rest benefits that come up from using furnace filters. In addition to keeping the HVAC organisation clear of contaminants, furnace filters also help clean the indoor air that y'all breathe. All the air purification allows the HVAC organization to run as efficiently every bit possible, which lowers the price of heating and cooling a home. Learn more most different types of furnace filters.

Not All Key Air Systems Accept a Furnace Filter

You may not have realized your furnace filter needs to be changed because furnace filters aren't needed in every HVAC system. It all depends on the equipment that'southward involved and how the system is designed. Below are a few instances when a HVAC arrangement won't demand a furnace filter.

Key Air Systems Without a Heating Component

example of a central air handler without a heating component

Some people live in climates where air cooling is needed nigh year-round, which means heating the firm isn't a concern. It's possible for HVAC systems to have no heating component and therefore they don't need a furnace filter.

HVACs With Single Air Filtration Systems

central air unit with a single filtration system

Some HVACs are designed to take a single air filtration arrangement rather than a carve up system for the air conditioner and furnace. When this is the case just a unmarried HVAC air filter is needed. The filter is placed in a shared air handler where it cleans the air before information technology'due south diverted to either the conditioning unit or furnace.

How Often to Replace & Change Your Furnace Filter

how often you should be replacing your furnace filter in your home

Your specific state of affairs is unique, but most air filtration experts hold that there is a general lifespan for furnace filters.

The standard recommendation is to supplant furnace filters at least once every 90 days.

Keep in mind, this is a full general recommendation. There are a few factors that can shorten or extend the time between furnace filter replacement intervals.

Furnace Filter Thickness & Change Intervals

different sized thickness furnace filters

I of the biggest variables is the thickness of your furnace'due south filter.

Furnace filters are typically 1-, two-, four- and five-inches thick. The thicker a furnace filter is, the more than it tin can hold and the longer it will concluding. Below is a quick reference for filter thickness and change intervals:

1" furnace filters should be replaced every 1-3 months.
two" furnace filters should be replaced every ane-three months.
4" furnace filters should be replaced every vi-9 months.
5" furnace filters should be replaced every 9-12 months.

The thickness of your furnace filter is dictated by your air handler and furnace's filter slot. You can't try to cram a larger air filter in a minor vent slot. It's also not advised to use a furnace filter that is too thin for your furnace filter slot. That volition result in inadequate filtration and contaminants making their way into the air in your home.

Also keep in mind that thicker furnace filters tend to last longer, providing more than filtration over time, and then they tend to cost more than 1" and 2" furnace filters.

Signs Information technology's Time to Replace Your Furnace Filter

a dirty furnace filter is a good sign its time to replace

There are a lot of variables that influence how oft a furnace filter needs to be changed. Plus, you may need to change the furnace filter more than often at sure times of twelvemonth. Instead of just going off the standard timeline, below are some signs and special considerations that will permit you know when to modify a furnace filter.

Symptoms of an Erstwhile or Muddy Furnace Filter

Increased heating bills and energy costs during colder months
Worsened air quality inside the firm
Constant temperature fluctuation
The furnace shuts downward due to clogs in the equipment
The heat exchanger is prematurely worn or damaged
The presence of dust and pet dander around the house
Increase in allergies or breathing issues or symptoms

When in dubiety, simply take a quick look at your furnace filter. When a filter has reached the stop of its life it will announced very dirty. Instead of seeing white pleats, the air filter medium will exist a darker color, often grayness or brown. Y'all may even see larger bits of debris.

Furnace Filter Change Intervals in Winter vs. Summer Months

Generally speaking, HVAC furnace filters don't need to be changed as regularly during wintertime months compared to summer months. In the winter, as long as the furnace filter isn't muddied and chock-full, you lot can go the recommended 90 days before needing a replacement. Just if you lot have higher-than-normal usage during a specially cold period, information technology may warrant an earlier replacement interval.

It all comes down to a thing of runtime and humidity. Typically, the air conditioner runs more hours of the day in summertime. Longer runtimes hateful that more air is passing through the filter each 24-hour interval. College humidity levels in the summer or winter can too make your furnace filter damp. The added moisture reduces the filter's chapters to hold contaminants, and it will need to be changed more frequently.

What Could Happen If Y'all Don't Change Your Furnace Filter

Permit's look at worst case scenarios if you don't change your furnace filter on time.

At this point y'all may be wondering how of import changing your furnace filter is in the real world. You may even retrieve y'all can skip a few changes if yous alive in a mild climate or aren't worried about air quality in your home.

an old or dirty furnace filter can cause damage to your heating system

Even if you live in a temperate climate with great air quality, there'due south some other of import reason to modify your furnace filter as recommended. Make clean furnace filters help protect your HVAC organization.

The primary purpose of a furnace filter is not to clean the air you breathe but to make clean the air that's passing through the furnace and other HVAC equipment. There are hundreds of components that tin can be negatively impacted past air contaminants. When contaminants enter the system, they can cause build up and premature wear that makes the equipment work harder.

If y'all don't regularly change your furnace filter, y'all can finish up with a furnace that doesn't operate as efficiently and will likely accept a shortened lifespan. This ends upwardly costing homeowners money in the short-term since more energy is used to heat and cool the home.

Long-term costs include more than frequent repairs and needing to replace the furnace or entire HVAC organization sooner than expected.

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Looking for the best air filters for your home? At Filterbuy you can detect specialty furnace filters and standard HVAC filters in a broad range of sizes and thicknesses. We tin likewise create custom size furnace filters so you get an exact fit!

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Furnace Filter Changing FAQs

How frequently should you supplant your furnace filter?

The full general recommendation is that furnace filters should be replaced at least once every 90 days.

How long is a furnace filter good?

A furnace filter will last if the medium can collect airborne contaminants. One time the medium is fully saturated it volition no longer be able to filter the air.

How oft should you lot alter a 1-inch furnace filter?

A 1-inch furnace filter should exist changed at least once every 1 to iii months or every 90 days.

How frequently should you lot change a 2-inch furnace filter?

A 2-inch furnace filter needs to be changed every 1-three months.

How oft should y'all change a 4-inch furnace filter?

A four-inch furnace filter should be changed sometime between six and nine months.

How often should you change a 5-inch furnace filter?

You tin wait 9 to 12 months before needing to replace a 5-in furnace filter.

How frequently should y'all change a furnace filter in winter months?

During the wintertime when the furnace is used more often, you will need to replace the furnace filter more frequently. Information technology's not uncommon for furnace filters to need to be replaced once a month in the winter. However, if your HVAC has a unmarried filtration organization that uses one air filter for the conditioning unit and furnace then replacements will exist less frequent in the winter compared to the summer.

How oftentimes should yous change a Honeywell furnace filter?

A Honeywell furnace filter is going to have the aforementioned filter replacement recommendations every bit standard filters. Just exist careful non to misfile Honeywell furnace filters with their HEPA air filters for purifiers, which concluding much longer.

How often should you alter a Carrier furnace filter?

A Carrier furnace filter has similar filter replacement recommendations. Carrier'south fiberglass furnace filters should exist changed every xxx days. Their pleated furnace filters tin last anywhere from 3 months up to a year.

How often should you change an Aprilaire furnace filter?

Aprilaire furnace filters tend to concluding a little longer than the norm. The manufacturer recommends irresolute their filters every 6 to 12 months.

How oft should you change an Air Conduct furnace filter?

Some Air Bear furnace filters tin can last six to ix months earlier needing to be replaced.