Category Archives: Blog

Technician replacing HVAC air filter

Why You Need Filters for Your HVAC

When was the last time you changed your HVAC’s air filter? Filters are very important to the function of an HVAC. Air filters a quick replacement and very affordable.

Most homeowners can replace their own filters in a matter of minutes. When filters aren’t replaced it can lead to inefficiency and other problems for your HVAC and air quality. Keep the quality of your home’s air high with a clean air filter. 

1. Filters Extend the Life of Your HVAC

Air filters filter through dust and debris, keeping your HVAC clean. Without a filter, an HVAC would be exposed to dust and debris, making is much more vulnerable to breaking down. When a filter isn’t replaced or cleaned out after some time, it can put a strain on an HVAC system. Your system will have to work harder as it pumps air through a dirty filter, making it wear down much quicker. Keeping your filter clean and clear can extend the life of your HVAC.  

2. Filters Make Your House Smell Better

Get rid of those unpleasant smells in your home with a good filter. Filters can filter out pet hair and dandruff, smoke, and other pungent smells. Keep fresh smelling air circulating through your house with a clean filter and a high functioning HVAC. 

3. Filters Provide Cleaner Air

Filters filter your air—making it cleaner! Air filters reduce pollutants and keep clean air circulating through your house, so you can avoid that stuffy feeling of stagnant air. Clean air can benefit everyone, but especially any in your household who may have allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues. Reduce allergy-inducing particles in your air with a clean filter. 

4. Filters Keep the Pests at Bay

When a filter isn’t there or is worn down and damaged, pests can make their way into your home. Pests can find their way into vents without a strong filter. It may be small pests like insects that get filtered out of your air, but it could also be larger pests like bird or rodents. Avoid that hassle but continuously replacing your filter. 

Changing your filter regularly will keep your home full of fresh air and keep your HVAC healthy longer. Save money in the long run as your HVAC system lasts longer. Typically, you should be changing your filter about every 90 days or so. There may be a recommendation for frequency in your HVAC’s manufacturer manual. You may also need to change a filter more regularly if there are pets in the home, anyone with allergies, asthma or other respiratory issues, or if your house is unusually large. The number of people living in the house can also impact it. If there are more people in the house, the filter may need to be changed more often. However, if it’s a vacation home that may not be used as often, it may not need a new filter as often. Change your filter and keep your HVAC running at its highest capacity for as long as possible.

Close-up of a dirty air vent grille.

Why Ventilation is Important

The Importance of Ventilation

For high-quality air in your home, you’ll need proper ventilation. It is vital to healthy air. Good airflow will prevent your space from feeling stagnant and help you avoid air pollutants that can affect your respiratory health. Ventilation will help keep your air fresh and clean. If you want to avoid unwanted smells, stuffy air, and potential mold growth, keep your home ventilated. Every house will have different ventilation needs. Older homes tend to be more breathable than newer homes and need less ventilation. Your house’s ventilation needs will depend on its build, age, location, and how many people are living in it.

Don’t Block Airways

Keeping airways open is key to good ventilation. Open windows, vents, and doors to keep the air flowing. When air flow is blocked, there cannot be ventilation and your HVAC will have to work hard to pump air through your house. Be sure that you open doors in your house, letting the air flow through the whole house. You can also give your HVAC a break, turn it off for a few hours and open your windows. Or open your windows through the night to get some of the cool, crisp night air flowing through your house. It is especially important to keep bathroom doors open and utilize their fans. Bathrooms can easily get stuffy and be prone to mold growth without proper ventilation.

Clean Air Vents Regularly

If your vents are dirty, the air traveling through them will be dirty too. Replacing filters and cleaning vents regularly will increase your home’s air quality. Vents can easily get clogged up over time with debris and dust—when this happens, they can start to contaminate the air. Your HVAC will also have to work much harder to push air through clogged and dirty vents. Keep those vents clean and unobstructed for optimal airflow. Vents are easy to clean and filters are cheap (and easy) to replace—both of these tasks will make a big difference.

Use a Dehumidifier

Another key to good ventilation is avoiding excessive moisture. Ideally, the humidity level in your home should be about 40-50%. Too much humidity can leave your home vulnerable to mold growth, wood rotting, and other damage. A dehumidifier can make a big impact on your air quality. If you live in a particularly humid environment or it’s just a hot and humid season, a dehumidifier can make all the difference.

Use Indoor Ventilation and Outdoor Air

Your house should be ventilated with a balance of both indoor air and outdoor air. Utilize the ventilation available to you through your HVAC, indoor fans, keeping doors open, and also opening windows and doors to outside. A little extra ventilation in your bathrooms and kitchen will go a long way—these areas of the house are more likely to sustain mold growth and stagnant air. Doing what you can to get the air flowing throughout your hour with both indoor and outdoor air will keep your home well ventilated.

 

Dirty and clogged HVAC filter.

How Often To Change Your HVAC Filter

HVAC filters are often forgotten about. When was the last time you changed yours? Changing your filters can elongate the life of your HVAC system and give your house better air quality. Plus, it’s cheap and easy to do! Knowing when and how to change your filters is not difficult but it may help you prolong the need to replace your HVAC system.

What to Consider

Generally, you should be changing your filters every three months. Though this is a general rule, there are many things to consider. How many people do you have living in your home? What are their needs? Do you have any young children in the home? They may need cleaner air. Having more people in the house may also require a new filter more often. The more people you have to produce debris, the more your filters have to capture. Having anyone in your home with special needs may also require better air quality.

Your House’s Needs

The size of your home is another thing to consider. A larger than the average house will be filtering more air and need new filters more often. You should also consider the surrounding area and climate of your house’s location. If you are located in an area with poor outdoor air quality, you will likely have poor indoor air quality. Pollution outside can easily carry inside and clog up your filter fasters.

If your home is a vacation home or a house not lived in regularly, it may not need a filter change as often. Not having people in the home or using it regularly will require less filtered air and produce less pollution.

The quality of your filter can also impact your needs. Cheap filters—usually made of fiberglass—are likely to get clogged up after about a month of use. Whereas mid-range filters last closer to three months and high end pleated filters can last up to about six months. The filter you get matters!

Pets and Allergies

Having pet hair in your hours will put more of a strain on your filters. Dogs and cats will create more work for your filters as their hair goes through the system. Your filters will almost certainly get dirty faster if there are pets in the house.

If any members of the house have allergies, having good quality may be a higher priority. Allergens are often passed through the air. Replacing your filters more often will keep air cleaner and help to keep allergies at bay.

How to Tell When You Need to Change Your Filter

If you still aren’t sure when to change your filter, there are a few signs you can look for. You can check your filter if you see visible dirt and build-up—it’s time for a change. It’s not hard to tell if air is having trouble passing through a filter. You should be checking your filter regularly. This will also help you keep track of how often your home requires a new filter.