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A/C Filters 4 Less

4 Reasons Why Homeowners Don’t Change Their Air Filters Enough: How to Fix and Avoid (An Expert Guide)

Having consistently clean air filters is essential for keeping your home running smoothly. If you don’t change them regularly, it can affect the comfort, efficiency, and air quality of your household as well as the health of your HVAC system. Despite this, many homeowners neglect their air filters, sometimes going months or years without checking or replacing them. No one wants to intentionally give their homes the problem of ignoring their air filters. And yet, it’s widespread for people to let their filters become dirty or clogged without taking action. Here, we’ll take a look at why this happens and how you can be sure to avoid making the same mistakes.

#1 – They Don’t Know How Important It Is

One of the main reasons homeowners don’t change their air filters is that they don’t realize how important it is. Since no one has informed these people about proper HVAC maintenance, they learn the hard way: they must regularly replace their air filters. Unfortunately, this can lead to several unpleasant situations. Often, these homeowners will spend tons of money on their monthly heating and cooling costs or even have their HVAC systems break down. They may also deal with poor indoor air quality in their homes and consistent discomfort. After experiencing these adverse effects, most people understand that changing their air filters is essential.

#2 – They Don’t Know When to Change Them

Some homeowners know they need to change their furnace and AC filters but aren’t sure when. They either don’t know the right time or aren’t sure how often they should be switching the filters out. Several factors determine how often you need to replace your HVAC filters. For example, if you have a large house with many people living together, you’ll need to change them more often than someone living alone in a small house. It would help if you also switched out your air filters more often when running your furnace or air conditioner. Additionally, if anyone in your household has asthma or allergies, you must switch the filters out often.

Every homeowner should decide how often they should change their air filters. The general rule is that you should not wait longer than two or three months at a time. If unsure, you can look at your filters to check how dirty they are. They need to be replaced if they’re too dirty for light to shine.

#3 – They Don’t Know Which Filters to Buy

The most challenging part of the furnace and AC filter replacement for many people is figuring out which air filters to purchase. First, you must figure out what size filters your HVAC system needs, which you can do by measuring the current filters. There are many possible AC filter sizes, and the ones you want will depend on your specific HVAC system. After that, you must decide what MERV rating is best for your home. MERV stands for Minimums Efficiency Reporting Value, a measure of how effectively filters trap airborne contaminants. The higher the MERV rating, the more particles the filter will catch. For the average household, air filters rated between MERV-6 and MERV-8 are sufficient. However, if you have multiple pets, allergies, asthma, or desire the cleanest possible air, you may prefer to use MERV-10 or even MERV-11 filters.

#4 – They Don’t Know About the Benefits

While it’s important to understand the consequences of neglecting your air filters, it’s also essential to know the benefits of being proactive. Many homeowners will switch out their furnaces and AC filters to avoid adverse effects. If you make a point to change your air filters before getting too dirty, it can benefit your household.

For one, changing out your filters often can significantly improve your comfort. When your furnace and AC unit have clean filters, they can circulate air much more smoothly. As a result, they can keep you consistently comfortable during the scorching summer and freezing winter. Plus, when those systems can run all the time smoothly, they’re able to operate much more efficiently. Since they don’t have to work as hard to do their jobs, they don’t require nearly as much energy. That leads directly to saving money on your monthly electricity bills, which can add up over time.

Another benefit of consistently changing your air filters is extending your HVAC system’s lifespan. With clean filters, life is much easier for your heating and cooling appliances. And because they don’t need to strain themselves much, they become much less likely to suffer mechanical problems. Ultimately, the fewer issues your HVAC system has throughout its life, the longer it will last before it starts to decline. So, by being proactive about the furnace and AC filter replacement, you can potentially get several extra productive years out of your appliances.

Knowledge Is Power

Many homeowners need to be more informed about their HVAC air filters. They’d be better equipped to manage their households if they knew more about changing their filters, why they’re essential, and how they can benefit. It may be tempting to put the chore off, but you’ll be delighted you made it a priority.

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