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What’s the most important maintenance task that takes under five minutes but keeps your system running more efficiently than ever? Changing your furnace filter to ensure any allergen or dust is being removed from the air. Unfortunately, it’s also the easiest task to put off or forget, until the system breaks down or you notice a loss of indoor air quality. In fact, most people don’t know how often to change the filter and remembering when to change the filters is another problem.

When Should You Change Your Air Filter?

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as tossing in a new filter every few months, as the schedule will depend strongly on your usage, environment and HVAC system. What type of filter does your system require? Can you upgrade to a better filter that is changed less often? Is your home’s air quality getting better or worse? Do you have pets? How many people live in your home? Are you in an area with air pollution such as a city or construction zone?

How Often to Change Your Filter

Here are some simple rules to remember: If you have allergies, have a pet or are using your system heavily, you’ll want to change a typical 1-3″ filter every month or two. If you have several pets, every 4-6 weeks is often optimal. For lower use or a lack of allergens, go to every two to three months. If you live remotely or the filter is for a vacation home, you may be able to change out the filter once or twice a year. Pets tend to shed and clog the air filter faster, so you’ll need to change out the filter more often.

Remembering to Change Your Filter

There are a few ways to remember when to change your filter. You can set up a reminder in your calendar software to pop up a couple weeks before you need to change it out. You could write future change dates on a paper calendar. You can also schedule it for automatic replacement as part of your service contract with your HVAC repair company.

By watching for the signs of a clogged filter and remembering to change it as directed by the manufacturer or your air conditioning repair service, you’ll be able to stay on top of this easy maintenance task. Don’t have the time? Contact Cox Air to schedule an appointment today.