When Do I Need to Change My Air Filters?

Maintenance agreements prepare your heating and cooling equipment for working hard all season long, but what they entail can be a mystery. Depending on your heating and cooling systems, professional preventive maintenance may include filter changes, or this could be a task you need to complete on your own on a more frequent basis. Whatever the case, your HVAC technician can help you identify the best filter and filter changing schedule for the equipment in your home.

Depending on your system, you may need to consider the following:

• Fiberglass flat-panel filters should be changed monthly. If you buy the cheapest filters on the shelf, you should know you aren’t doing your indoor air any favors. You are, however, preventing large particles from building up inside your HVAC units. These thin, cheap filters fill up fast, so in order to give your home the most basic protection, it’s important to change them at least once a month.

• High-efficiency filters should be changed every three months. Thick, pleated filters highly rated for removing pet dander, mold and other contaminants from the air should be checked every month. Unless you have tons of pets or other sources of dust, however, you shouldn’t have to change them more than four times a year. Just make sure that you do. Dirty HEPA filters contribute heavily to bloated energy bills.​

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• Systems that provide both heat and cooling year-round should have professional filters changed at maintenance visits. For instance, heat pump filters can be safely and economically left for professionals. Otherwise, the filter should still be inspected, and a quality technician will be able to point you toward the best brands on the market.

Enroll in a Comfort Control Plan today to ensure you stay on top of your HVAC’s air filter needs. Click this link to visit Smoak’s Comfort Control online, or call 843.556.9550 to discuss our residential and commercial maintenance agreements.