When Should I Change My Air Conditioner's Air Filter at Home?
Looking for the quick answer? Read our FAQ on "How often to change the air filter".
- Knowing just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter.
- Remembering to change air filters when needed.
When To Change Your Air Filters
Most filters have a recommended guideline on the packaging. It may read "Lasts up to 3 months" or "Change filter every 90 days". Check out the filters at the store and you'll see that some are designed to only last a month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have released media air cleaners with filters meant to be swapped once every 6-12 months. The standard seems to be once every three months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we suggest our customers to go by. If the filter is dirty, change it! A dirty air filter can exacerbate or cause damage to pricey components, like your compressor, so it's better to change it out more often than not. If you want to stick to the manufacturer's recommended limit, we suggest scribbling the date on the filter when you swap it out, and adding a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar. Also note that your filter manufacturer may have a different recommendation from your HVAC system manufacturer.
Figuring out how often to change your air filters relies upon several factors:
- Type of filter your A/C system requires
- The collective air quality of your San Antonio area home
- Pets – Birds, cats, dogs, hamsters (do you have one?), etc.
- Occupancy of the home
- General air pollution in the San Antonio area or construction taking place nearby
For the common 1"-3" air filters, the OEM specs basically suggest to change them every 30-60 days, which is actually a great rule of thumb. However, generalities may not be suitable for your specific needs. If you have to tolerate light to moderate allergies, you might require an upgraded air filter or change them even more often than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you're in a low population area, own a less occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area with little auto traffic, replacing your air filters each year may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter fast. Clearly, the air filter is just doing its job by containing pet hair and dander, but tremendously dirty filters can cause diminished HVAC performance.
In summary:
- Infrequently occupied home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months
- Average suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days
- House with a pet: Change every 60 days
- More than one pet or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days
How To Remember To Change Your Air Conditioner's Air Filters
Here’s an easy way to stay on top of this; sign up for the Service Experts Email Club. When you do, you can elect to receive (or not) great email coupons and newsletters with a lot of tips and discounts on AC repairs and tune-ups. But wait… there’s more, your email subscription preferences let’s you set a reminder to change your San Antonio area home's air filter every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or a specific date of your choice.
How to replace your return air filter
Most of us know how to replace the air filter in their system, but some residences have another filter in the return vent. Whether you have one or not is dependent on which HVAC system you have. Your system is made to handle a maximum amount of pressure in your house, and the more filters you have the fiercer the blower motor works, which can decrease the life of your system if it isn't designed for it. Discovering whether you have a return filter and replacing it is a piece of cake:
- Go to your return air vents.
- Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to take off the wall.
- Inspect for a filter. If one is in place, pull it out and record the size.
- Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer.
- If filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer's recommended filter of the same size and type.