The types of air conditioning filters used in your home can have a major impact on how often you need to replace them. If you don't have allergies, standard 1- to 3-inch air filters should be changed every 30 to 60 days. For those with mild or moderate allergies, it's best to change your filters every three weeks. Most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing the air filter every 90 days or 3 months.
However, this can vary depending on the location of your home, 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. For those with allergies or respiratory conditions, we recommend changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Vacation homes or empty houses that aren't used much can wait to change the filters every 9 to 12 months.
The general consensus is that the more you use your home, the more often you'll need to change the air filter. Fiberglass air filters are more affordable than other types, but they are less efficient at capturing dust and particles from the air. You usually need to change them every 30 days or less. For optimal efficiency from your air conditioning system, it's best to change filters every 30 to 45 days.
Filters that would normally last 90 days should be changed every 30 days during peak summer and winter months when air conditioning systems are operating at maximum capacity and require maximum efficiency to continue operating smoothly. Another good technique is to change the filter every month on the day your utility bill arrives so that your routine is consistent. If you have a pet, you'll want to change the air filter every 2 months, especially when winter turns to spring and summer to fall. Generally, a larger home requires more frequent filter changes because ovens and air conditioners must release more air due to temperature fluctuations. Changing the air filter is the easiest and most effective way to maintain the home's cooling and heating system. As a general rule, lower home occupancy extends the life of the air filter, while higher occupancy reduces it.
If the air outside is of poor quality or you have pets inside, you'll need to replace the air filter more often. If you live in a “small” house, your air conditioners and ovens need to pump less air with the same temperature change, which could mean fewer filter changes. According to the American Allergy and Asthma Foundation (AAFA), “indoor air quality is just as important as outdoor air quality”. Some air conditioning systems have filters inside return air ducts spread over several rooms in the house. Naturally, if your home's air quality isn't great, you'll have to replace your air filters more often. Pleated filters are usually better than non-pleated ones as they allow more surface area to accumulate dust, pet hair, and other debris that floats in the air.
If you use your air conditioning system almost constantly, you'll have to change the filter every few weeks (especially if you use fiberglass filters). When buying a new air filter, make sure to check the manufacturer's recommendations for their replacement program. Outdoor air quality can also have an impact on how often the air filter gets dirty and needs to be changed. Poor outdoor air quality means more particles in your home's indoor environment which will require more frequent filter changes. In conclusion, it's important for homeowners to understand how often they should change their air conditioner filters.
The frequency of replacement depends on several factors such as allergies or respiratory conditions, pet ownership, outdoor environment quality, size of home and occupancy rate. Generally speaking, standard 1-3 inch filters should be changed every 30-60 days while pleated filters should be changed every 30-45 days for optimal efficiency from your AC system.
