When Should You Be Replacing Your Filter? And How?

Do you know how to change the filter of your home? Replacing the filter or changing the filter is perhaps one of the most straightforward tasks and one that requires a minimal level of expertise.

Changing and regularly maintaining your filters is perhaps the most cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of your home and improve the air that comes into your home. It also lessens the load on the HVAC system as well.

Cleaning the filter takes about 5-10 minutes of your time each day. In this article, I am going to tell you the ways through which you can maintain and take care of your filter.

1.  Talk To Your Air Duct Installer

You will probably have gotten your air duct installed by a professional. There are different types of HVAC systems and various types of filters. If your air duct service provider lives nearby, you can talk to him and ask him to visit your place and teach you how you can clean your air duct filter.

Seeing a professional take out, clean, and replace the filter with a set of instructions will help you get a fair idea on how you are supposed to clean and maintain your HVAC system. It also helps assure you that you are doing things the right way and that no air reaches your home without being properly screened first.

2.  Filters Need To Be Replaced Every Three Months

To ensure that optimal quality air reaches your home, you need to replace your air duct filters once every three months. To be able to catch all microorganisms perfectly, you will need an air filter that meets a high minimum efficiency reporting value.

Contact air duct cleaners near you and ask them if they have filters that meet those requirements and if those filters are compatible with the current HVAC system you have installed in your home.

clean filters

In times like the coronavirus, you should be asking your air duct service provider for the best filters that keep out harmful bacteria particles. You can also search online for filters that are good at keeping viruses from entering your homes.

You can also request for an HVAC modification from air duct cleaners near me.

3.  How To Replace Your Filter

Below I've outlined some general steps that you should follow while replacing your filter.

a)   Locate Your Furnace

The first step to cleaning is to analyze and inspect your HVAC so that you know what goes where. Then you need to locate the furnace; this is the area where the filter is typically supposed to be. The return air duct is also sometimes at the bottom of your HVAC unit, and some systems may have their filters installed on a return air grille somewhere in the home.

b)  Open The Storage Compartment

The storage compartment above or below the HVAC system needs to be opened before you start cleaning the furnace. Make sure that you have powered your system off before trying to open the storage compartment or trying to touch the HVAC system.

There will be a tray that you will need to open and slide out the filter from.

 

c)   Examine The Filter

If the filter looks clean, don't rewash it. Over-washing the filter can end up causing it to form pores through which dust and other microorganisms can escape. You can check if the filter is clean or dirty by holding it up against a light source. If light can pass through the screen, then it means that it is clean. Otherwise, you will see regions where the sun is unable to pass through.

If your filter has not been changed for more than three months, we recommend buying a replacement filter. Talk to an air duct cleaner near you, and they might be able to arrange a new screen for you. Another good tip that you can use is that you can mark the date of purchase on the filter so that you know when you are supposed to replace it.