Changing your air filter on a regular basis is, in most cases, a relatively minor HVAC maintenance task. However, it’s also one of the most commonly forgotten tasks.
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Changing your air filter on a regular basis is, in most cases, a relatively minor HVAC maintenance task. However, it’s also one of the most commonly forgotten tasks.
Many homeowners are surprised that the HVAC air filter is a critical component of their cooling and heating system. A high-quality and clean filter promotes energy efficiency and system durability. Just like other characteristics of HVAC systems, manufacturers go by a rating system to make selection easier.
No doubt you’re aware of the guidelines for changing air filters: once a month for cheaper, fiberglass filters, and every three months for higher quality filters. It’s a good rule of thumb, but like everything else, there are exceptions to the rule.
It might be an unassuming and easily-overlooked part of your home HVAC system, but your furnace or air conditioner’s air filter actually plays a big role. It keeps the inner workings of your system free from dust and debris – and when it clogs up, the strain it puts on the fan motors can be one of the leading causes of system failure. Savvy homeowners know to replace the filter once a month, and here are some of the tips they may use to remind themselves to do it.
No single parameter impacts heating performance and energy efficiency like adequate airflow and nothing reduces airflow like a dirty furnace filter. The system blower circulates the entire air volume of your house through the filter multiple times every day. Carried into the filter is an abundance of dust, dirt, lint and other airborne particulates. And that’s just the stuff you can actually see: invisible contaminants including mold spores, pollen and microorganisms can actually breed inside the filter media.
Most homeowners are aware that the most basic HVAC care begins with frequent air filter changes. However, when faced with which type to buy, they find very little guidance. Many presume that the most expensive filter is the best choice, while others think the cheapest version will do just as well. With more information about how the air filter affects the unit, you will find the selection much easier to make.
Your air filter performs two very important roles in your home HVAC system: it protects the internal workings of your furnace and air conditioner from dust, dander, mold spores, and other debris which could build up and impair operation, and it boosts your indoor air quality by removing those particulates from your air supply. But with all the air filters on the market, which do you choose?
Regularly changing the air filter or filters in your Grand Traverse County-area home’s heating/cooling system may seem like a fairly insignificant task but it’s one that holds great importance. Experts advise that you should check your filters’ cleanliness on a monthly basis and that you should replace them when dirty if they’re the disposable type, which most are. If you’re using a reusable air filter it should still be inspected monthly and cleaned when necessary which, for both air filter types, should generally be about every two to three months at most.
The term “HEPA filtration” is synonymous with pure indoor air, but how this type of filtration works is widely misunderstood. You can use HEPA filtration to improve your northern Michigan home’s indoor air quality, but it isn’t as simple as replacing your current filter with a HEPA filter.
HVAC maintenance is essential to ensuring your home stays comfortable year round, and that your heating and cooling bills don’t get out of hand. Your HVAC professional can take care of most of the required upkeep during your regularly scheduled spring and fall tune-ups, but your system’s air filter is one critical component that needs monthly attention. Timely air filter replacement can benefit you in a number of ways: