Do you want to ensure that your home has clean air and better energy efficiency? Changing your air filter is a fast, economical, and manageable household maintenance task that can help you achieve this. We recommend that a professional HVAC technician perform air conditioning and heating maintenance twice a year, in the fall and spring. However, there are limits to what passive filtration can do, so active air purification systems are more effective at addressing indoor air quality. To change your home's air filter, the first step is to turn off and unplug the unit.
Then, remove the front cover and clean it if necessary. Filters should be changed every 30 to 90 days, depending on the type and efficiency of the filter. When you can replace the air filters in your home, you'll move toward cleaner air in every room. Basic household oven air filters are designed to trap dust, dirt, and airborne particles before they enter the system and can damage the fan or heating coil.
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Report Values and measures the efficiency with which the filter captures particles that act as contaminants that would otherwise run through your heating and air conditioning system. When you compare the old filter with the new one side by side, you can see the difference a new filter will make. Once the filter is in the slot, check for gaps or any other signs that the filter does not fit properly. Maintaining a clean air filter can reduce energy costs and reduce the risk of mold or bacteria growing in the air system.
If you're concerned about allergies, mold, and indoor air quality, ask your HVAC technician for other options, such as UV lights, media filters, and whole-house air purification systems. Central forced air heating and cooling systems rely on filter maintenance to help them perform optimally in the long term.
