How Often Should You Replace Your Furnace Air Filter?

A good rule of thumb is to change 1-inch to 2-inch filters every three months, 4-inch filters every six months, and 5-inch filters every 12 months. Certainly, if you can't see the filter material itself, it must be replaced. Keep in mind that this is a general recommendation. There are a few factors that can shorten or extend the time between furnace filter replacement intervals.

Generally, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing the air filter every 90 days or 3 months. This may vary depending on the location of your home (e.g. dusty and dry climates), if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets at home, you should consider changing the filter every 60 days or 2 months, and in the case of households with several pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we recommend that you change the filter every 20 to 45 days.

Vacation homes or empty houses that aren't used much can wait to change filters every 9 to 12 months. The more you use your home, the more often you'll need to replace your air filter. If you're allergic to dust or pet dander, you should change your air filters more often than every 90 days. Try replacing filters after 60 days and, if your allergies continue to worsen, consider changing them every month or replacing them with pleated filters.

In most cases, you should change the filter at least every three months, even in summer. If you can't remember to do it, a good rule of thumb is to change the boiler filter every time the seasons change. According to The Home Depot, the air quality where you live can affect how often your oven filter needs to be changed. Larger homes have large volumes of air circulating everywhere, which means that the filter may need to be changed more frequently than in small homes or vacation homes.

In addition, if your house smells musty, changing the oven filter is also a way to help the interior of your house smell good. If you live in a larger house, that means there is a lot more air circulating through the house and through the boiler filter. In winter, as long as the oven filter is not dirty or clogged, you can use the recommended 90 days before needing a replacement. By removing the air filter from the air controller, if you hold it close to a light source, you'll be able to see if the filter is dirty or clogged; if you can't see the light through the filter, it's definitely time to change it.

As a general rule, you'll want to replace pleated air filters and oven filters in your home every 90 days. The basic consensus among HVAC professionals is that you should replace your furnace filter every 90 days or every three months. Generally speaking, HVAC oven filters don't need to be changed as regularly during the winter months compared to the summer months. According to Bob Vila, the filters are designed to protect the oven from these particles and, in reality, improving air quality is just a beneficial side effect.

Three- or 4-inch filters can last 6 to 9 months, and filters up to 6 inches thick can be replaced once a year. Regularly replacing your oven filter is a simple way to maintain healthy air quality in your home, keep your oven healthy and even save on energy costs. The main purpose of an oven filter is not to clean the air you breathe but to clean the air that passes through the oven and other HVAC equipment. The replacement cycle of the air filter and oven filter is also affected by air outside and inside the house.

There are two different types of oven filters, and the one in your oven will determine how often they should be changed.

Archie Walizer
Archie Walizer

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