How Often Do You Need to Change Air Filters in Miami?
Even though when you bought your new AC equipment, you promised to take care of it faithfully, or whenever your AC technician comes by to service your unit, you get chastised for not changing your filter often enough, you may still be putting this task off simply because it’s out of your mind. So, before your AC system suffers a breakdown, let’s find out how often you should change your home’s merv 8 air filters. It may be more or less frequent than you think.
Some factors that impact how often you need to change your air filter in Miami are:
The number of people living in the home – This means that a family would need more frequent air filter changes than someone living alone.
The number of hours the system is used – If you leave the unit on all day, even when nobody is home, you will need to change your filter as often as once a month. If this is a second home or if you turn it off during the hours when everyone is either at school or work, you may get away with changing the filter less often.
Your pets – If there are pets in the home, don’t allow more than 60 days to go by without a filter change. Adding extra pets means that the filter may have to be changed even more often.
The type of flooring in your home – If there is carpeting, fibers from your floor can end up in your air conditioning filter. This is not the case if your floors have wood or tile, which would allow you more time between filter changes.
If you or someone else in your household smokes – Smoking fills up your filter much faster, calling for more frequent filter replacements. This also applies to people who are habitually burning candles in their homes since candles also generate smoke that can clog air filters.
The respiratory conditions of those who share the home with you – If there are people with asthma or other respiratory ailments in your home, you want to give them the cleanest air possible. Change your filters every month.
The size of your filter – Generally, home air conditioning units use 20 x 20 x 1 filters. If your unit requires a smaller filter, it will fill up much faster and require more frequent changes.
The type of filter you use – There are several types of air conditioner filters on the market today. You may buy a pleated filter with a larger surface area to capture particles or go for a tackified or ring pad filter that gets filled up much faster. Review the recommendations of the manufacturer of your equipment or ask your AC technician to tell you what filter will work best, considering the above points and the level of humidity in your area.
The age of your HVAC system – You may notice that your AC does not give you the cool air you have become accustomed to. This may be because the filter is clogged and needs to be changed and because you have an old system that is not as efficient as it used to be. If you suspect that this is the case, call an AC professional to assess the situation and determine whether the time has come to buy a new unit or if the problem is something much simpler, like a filter needing to be replaced.
Ultimately, you want to have a clean filter as often as possible since this will make your equipment work better and give your loved ones cleaner air.