In today’s world, where energy bills seem to be set on an ever increasing scale and the cost of living seems to be getting higher and higher, we all want to know that we are getting the most out of our money. This is why it is especially important to make sure you change the air filter on your HVAC system as frequently as you need to.

While at first it may seem like you are wasting money buying replacement filters, remember that if your filter isn’t replaced as often as needed, then your HVAC system will run inefficiently, and you will be wasting money on your energy bills each month as your HVAC needs to work harder to heat or cool down your home.

As a rough guide, it is recommended that you change your air filter every 3 months; however, there are several variables that will result in you having to change your filter more or less frequently.

 

How frequently you have to change your filter depends on the following variables:

 

If you have pets in your home

If you live in a home where you have one or more pets, especially the type of pets that produce a large amount of dander, then you will definitely need to replace your air filter on a more frequent basis. This is because the pet sheds fur and dander which makes its way into your HVAC system and clogs up the filter.

 

The overall air quality

Again, if the overall air quality of the environment surrounding your home is worse than the national average, then you will need to change your filter more frequently.

If, for example, you live in an area with an unusually high level of air pollution, then the pollutants in the air surrounding your home will enter into your house and then make their way into your HVAC system, clogging up your filter.

 

The level of foot traffic in your home

If you have a large family living in your home, or if you have an unusually high level of foot traffic in your home, then you should be checking your filter more often. The more people there are in your home, then the more dust and dirt that will need to be filtered out of your HVAC system. So, check your filter more frequently if you have a big family or lots of visitors.

If you find that one or more of these factors are causing you to have to change your air filter at too high a frequency, then it may well be worth switching to a new filter type with a MERV rating. The higher MERV rating means that the filter will be more efficient at removing impurities from the air.

For example, pet owners are recommended to use filters with a MERV rating of 8 or above as these are best suited to pet owners.