How Often Should You Change Your AC Filter?

In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months. This may vary depending on the location of your home, if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets in your home, it is advisable to change the filter every 60 days or 2 months. For households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we suggest changing the filter every 20 to 45 days.

Vacation homes or vacant homes that don't have much use can expect to change filters every 9-12 months. The more you use your home, the more you need to change the air filter. Children are more sensitive than adults to indoor air pollutants such as mold, dust mite debris, dander and pollen, so it is important to use quality air filters and replace them before they become clogged and dirty too much. If you have young children at home, it is recommended to use high-quality pleated air filters and change them every two months.

When you operate your air conditioning system without a filter, dust is absorbed into the indoor air conditioning unit and settles on a part of that system called evaporator coils. The ideal is to change your air filter every three months, however, there are certain factors to consider when determining when to change an old filter. Call the manufacturer or your favorite technical expert for the “right air filter for your air conditioning system.” The longer the filter is in place, the more dirt, dust and allergens are trapped, clogging the filter and decreasing its efficiency. If you purchase an older system, plan to replace the filter more frequently to maintain filter quality.

If there is no smoker or pets in your home, and your filter is the 1 filter that is commonly sold with a MERV rating of 4, you should be able to wait up to 90 days before changing it. You just need to follow these three simple steps to improve the efficiency of your air conditioner by 5 to 15% by changing clogged filters. But how often do you need to change the air filter? How often do you need to change the oven filter? Well, it depends. The only way to ensure how often you need to change your air filter is to perform a visual inspection of the filter every month.

It's a general recommendation to change your home's air filter every 30 days when using less expensive fiberglass filters. As a general rule, you'll want to replace your home's pleated air filters and heating filters every 90 days. When you remove the air filter from the air handling unit, if you hold it close to a light source, you can 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. Alternatively, expert field technicians at Petro Home Services can offer service plans that cover regular AC filter replacement. However, the smaller the appliance used for cooling, the small space usually comes with smaller filters, so you may need to change the filter as often as a filter in a larger home.