I’ve always lived with the mindset that an air filter should be replaced every six months when the HVAC system is getting serviced for a new season.
- My parents always lived this way, so it was natural that I followed suit.
It wasn’t until one of my most recent HVAC tune ups that an HVAC professional told me otherwise. According to him, air filters needed to be replaced every two to three months rather than every six months. This seemed awfully frequent, but he was adamant. When I asked him why it was so often, he broke it down in simple terms for me. HVAC systems work best when there’s nothing hindering it and that starts with a clean air filter. When there’s a lot of dust and debri clogging the air filter, it restricts airflow and makes the HVAC system run harder to push air through. This makes things less efficient. The HVAC professional also told me that if I was using a stronger and more durable air filter, then I wouldn’t need to replace the air filter so frequently. The more expensive and thicker air filters could last longer than the cheaper and more flimsy air filters. When I listened to the HVAC professional tell me all this information, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for his honesty. This was the first time I’d ever heard this information before, and I knew it would help me care for my HVAC system better. I would now consider my air filter and how often it was replaced more frequently than before.