How Often do My Filters Need to be Changed?

Air conditioning helps keep your home or office at a comfortable temperature, but it also maintains a stable humidity level and cleans the air. When the pollen count goes up, it is the filter in your air conditioning unit that keeps the allergens on the outside, so you can breathe comfortably while indoors. How effectively your air is cleaned depends on your filter. Filters come in a range of quality levels and need regular replacement.

Higher quality filters last longer, but they can also reduce air flow through your system. Lower quality filters need more rapid replacement, but they are inexpensive and don’t affect system performance until it is time to change them. So, how often is the average replacement time? It all depends. Here are a few of the factors that can affect the life of your filters.

Read the Filter Packaging

Many filters come with a recommended replacement time. Once a month is a fairly common time frame, but even that can depend on external factors. In Akron, OH, you won’t need to run your system all year long. That means you can probably avoid filter changes during the winter season and much of the fall. Once you turn off the a/c, you can forget about the filters until the next time you turn it on.

Dust, Dirt, and Debris Fill Up Filters Fast

If you have pets or live in a particularly dusty area in Ohio, you might find that one month is too long to wait between filters. Pet dander can clog up your filter much faster than you see in households without pets. To check on filter life, take your filter out once a week until you can no longer see through it when you hold it up to the light. That’s a solid indicator that it needs replacement. In some households, that could be every two weeks, while others might be able to go two months or more.

Hot Weather Means More Filters

A long hot spell could mean you need to change your filters a bit faster. After all, when the weather gets hot, your a/c works round the clock to control the temperature. If your system runs for a few hours a day, your filter will laster longer than if it is running nonstop.

Cleveland HVAC Service

Changing your filters can improve indoor air quality and cut the energy costs associated with running your system. If you need filter replacements or want to get an expert opinion on when to replace filters, contact KW Lang Mechanical for all of your AC maintenance and repair services in Ohio.