The modern home is a safe and healthy place for you and your family. There are many items within the household that keep it healthy, such as the filter on your air conditioning (AC) unit. In order to keep your AC running happily, and the air inside your home clean, you will need to regularly change your AC filter. So how often should you change your AC filter? There is no one answer to this question, it depends on several different factors around your household. Let’s look into some of the determining factors from Front Range HVAC to help you decide on when you should change things out.

How Often Should You Change Your AC Filter?

A good starting point when deciding how often to change your AC filter can be found in your AC unit owner’s manual or on the filter itself. Timeframes can range from approximately 30 days to 90, but there are several variations. Once you have your starting number, you can adjust it depending on your home and lifestyle.

You Should Change Your AC Filter More Frequently If:

  • There are pets in the home because their fur and dander will clog filters more quickly.
  • Someone in the household has respiratory issues or allergies. A clean filter will clean the air more efficiently than a clogged one. Change filters often to keep respiratory issues and allergies at bay.
  • You live in a construction area. Small particles of dust and dirt can find their way into your home from local construction sites. If there is construction going on within a mile, you will likely need to change your AC filter more often than recommended by the manufacturer.
  • You buy a cheaper filter. There is nothing wrong with buying cheaper filters, but you may need to change them more often. Make sure you don’t actually lose money by purchasing cheaper filters.

You Should Change Your AC Filter-Less Frequently If:

  • The unit is in a vacation home or not used very frequently. There is no reason to change an AC filter if you do not use the unit itself often.

Whenever in doubt, do a visual check of the filter. If you see large amounts of particulate, change it out. The good news is that even high-end AC filters are relatively inexpensive. Buy a large pack of AC filters to have at the ready anytime you think your filters may need changing. A clean filter means clean air for your entire home.