How Often Should Furnace Filters Be Changed

How Often Should Yous Change Your Furnace Filter

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

When information technology comes to maintaining a good for you central air arrangement in your house, most homeowners are aware that they need to regularly change their AC air filters. Yet, they may not be aware that they too need to alter their furnace filter at regular intervals.

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

The furnace is role of your HVAC air filtration system responsible for taking cold air in and heating it up before it's blown throughout the rest of the abode through the air handler.

Furnaces - the heating component of your central air system - are made of several principal parts that are responsible for heating the air inside of your habitation. The estrus exchanger, combustion sleeping accommodation, and air blower help to condition the air. Your furnace filter helps to clean it.

So, how often should you really change your furnace filter? Let'due south take a deeper look at your home'due south furnace filter, what it does, and why it's important to regularly change your furnace filters.

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Get-go, What Does a Furnace Filter Do?

Earlier nosotros get into the details surrounding when and how often to change furnace filters, let's discuss why they are needed in the first identify.

The furnace filter is used to articulate the air of contaminants and grit simply before air is pulled into the furnace system. The air passes through the filter cloth where contaminants are trapped. This keeps contaminants out of the furnace and HVAC equipment that'due south further downward the line.

Without a filter the furnace would cease to operate rather speedily because the equipment would be likewise gunked up to operate properly.

There are also a couple residual benefits that come from using furnace filters. In addition to keeping the HVAC system articulate of contaminants, furnace filters also assistance clean the indoor air that yous breathe. All the air purification allows the HVAC system to run equally efficiently as possible, which lowers the cost of heating and cooling a domicile. Larn more about different types of furnace filters.

Not All Primal Air Systems Take a Furnace Filter

You lot may not take realized your furnace filter needs to exist inverse because furnace filters aren't needed in every HVAC organisation. It all depends on the equipment that'due south involved and how the organization is designed. Beneath are a few instances when a HVAC organisation won't need a furnace filter.

Central 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 almost year-circular, which ways heating the house isn't a business concern. It's possible for HVAC systems to accept 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 have a single air filtration system rather than a split system for the air conditioner and furnace. When this is the case only a single HVAC air filter is needed. The filter is placed in a shared air handler where information technology cleans the air before it's 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 situation is unique, simply nigh air filtration experts agree that there is a general lifespan for furnace filters.

The standard recommendation is to replace furnace filters at to the lowest degree once every 90 days.

Continue in mind, this is a general recommendation. At that place are a few factors that tin shorten or extend the time between furnace filter replacement intervals.

Furnace Filter Thickness & Modify Intervals

different sized thickness furnace filters

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

Furnace filters are typically 1-, 2-, 4- and 5-inches thick. The thicker a furnace filter is, the more it tin concur and the longer information technology will last. Below is a quick reference for filter thickness and alter intervals:

1" furnace filters should be replaced every 1-3 months.
ii" furnace filters should be replaced every 1-three months.
4" furnace filters should exist replaced every six-9 months.
five" 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 tin can't try to cram a larger air filter in a small vent slot. It'southward also not brash to use a furnace filter that is too sparse for your furnace filter slot. That will effect in inadequate filtration and contaminants making their manner into the air in your dwelling house.

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

Signs It'south 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 often a furnace filter needs to be changed. Plus, y'all may need to change the furnace filter more frequently at certain times of year. Instead of only going off the standard timeline, beneath are some signs and special considerations that will permit you know when to change a furnace filter.

Symptoms of an Sometime or Dirty Furnace Filter

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

When in doubt, merely accept a quick expect at your furnace filter. When a filter has reached the end of its life information technology volition appear very dirty. Instead of seeing white pleats, the air filter medium will be a darker colour, often grey or brown. You may fifty-fifty run into larger bits of droppings.

Furnace Filter Modify Intervals in Winter vs. Summertime Months

Generally speaking, HVAC furnace filters don't need to be inverse as regularly during wintertime months compared to summer months. In the wintertime, as long as the furnace filter isn't dirty and chock-full, you can get the recommended xc days before needing a replacement. But if you have higher-than-normal usage during a particularly cold period, it may warrant an earlier replacement interval.

Information technology all comes downward to a thing of runtime and humidity. Typically, the air conditioner runs more hours of the day in summer. Longer runtimes mean that more air is passing through the filter each twenty-four hour period. Higher humidity levels in the summer or winter tin also make your furnace filter damp. The added wet reduces the filter's capacity to hold contaminants, and information technology will need to exist changed more than frequently.

What Could Happen If You Don't Change Your Furnace Filter

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

At this signal you may be wondering how important irresolute your furnace filter is in the real world. You may fifty-fifty think you tin can skip a few changes if you live 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

Fifty-fifty if you alive in a temperate climate with dandy air quality, there'south another important reason to change your furnace filter as recommended. Clean furnace filters help protect your HVAC system.

The main purpose of a furnace filter is non to clean the air yous breathe but to 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 organisation, they can cause build up and premature wear that makes the equipment work harder.

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

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

Shop Furnace Filters with Filterbuy

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

We besides offer v-inch furnace filters (16x25x5 or 20x25x5), whole business firm air filter brands, and rigid cell furnace filters.

Furnace Filter Changing FAQs

How oftentimes should y'all replace your furnace filter?

The general recommendation is that furnace filters should exist replaced at least once every ninety days.

How long is a furnace filter skillful?

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

How often should yous alter a 1-inch furnace filter?

A ane-inch furnace filter should be inverse at least once every 1 to three months or every 90 days.

How oftentimes should y'all change a 2-inch furnace filter?

A two-inch furnace filter needs to be changed every 1-3 months.

How often should yous change a 4-inch furnace filter?

A 4-inch furnace filter should be changed erstwhile between six and nine months.

How often should y'all modify a 5-inch furnace filter?

You lot can expect 9 to 12 months before needing to replace a v-in furnace filter.

How oftentimes should you modify a furnace filter in wintertime months?

During the wintertime when the furnace is used more often, you will demand to replace the furnace filter more than frequently. Information technology'south not uncommon for furnace filters to need to exist replaced once a month in the wintertime. However, if your HVAC has a single filtration system that uses 1 air filter for the conditioning unit and furnace then replacements will exist less frequent in the wintertime compared to the summer.

How frequently should yous change a Honeywell furnace filter?

A Honeywell furnace filter is going to have the same filter replacement recommendations as standard filters. Just be careful not to misfile Honeywell furnace filters with their HEPA air filters for purifiers, which last much longer.

How frequently should you change a Carrier furnace filter?

A Carrier furnace filter has similar filter replacement recommendations. Carrier's fiberglass furnace filters should be changed every 30 days. Their pleated furnace filters tin can last anywhere from 3 months up to a year.

How often should you alter an Aprilaire furnace filter?

Aprilaire furnace filters tend to last a trivial longer than the norm. The manufacturer recommends changing their filters every 6 to 12 months.

How often should you modify an Air Carry furnace filter?

Some Air Deport furnace filters can last six to nine months before needing to be replaced.