As a homeowner it is our job to stay up-to-date in replacing and maintaining the necessary items inside of the home. Whether that be keeping an eye on your roof and the weathering it has undertaken over the years, replacing appliances that are on the way out, and even stay regular with the everyday care of your air handling system when it comes time to replace your air filter. Often times, homeowners will let little things fall by the way-side and this will unfortunately include the regular changing of your air handling filter every month.
The air filter inside of your air handling system is a crucial component to your AC system and can be vital to the overall life of the system. If you start to notice a reduction in air flow inside your home or even a spike in your electric bill, this could all be a result of insufficient air filter changes within your home.
In this article we are going to discuss the important truth on how often you should be changing out the air filter in your home and what signs to looks for that will indicate a bad air filter in your air handling system.
What is an Air Filter (HVAC)
An HVAC air filter that is used within a home’s furnace or air conditioner is often one of the most overlooked components of an HVAC system – and an important component nonetheless. An air filter is usually composed of spun fiberglass material, pleated paper, or cloth enclosed in a cardboard frame that all work to filter the air that passes through the filter. The filter acts as a barrier to protect the HVAC equipment from a collection of debris that is collected from the indoor air.
Over time as these air filters collect and gather debris and contaminants from the air it will fill the filter media and as this filter fills it will be difficult to filter out other contaminants found in the air.
How Do Air Filters Work
The functions of an air filter center around its ability to filter and trap different types of particulates and contaminants that are found within the air that could potentially affect the health and comfort of those exposed. The major airborne contaminants that become filtered out by air filters found in ac systems includes dust and dirt, pollen, mold and mold spores, fibers, hair and animal fur, and bacteria/microorganisms. The filter will work efficiently to push air through the environment to help reduce a buildup of the potentially harmful contaminants.
An air filter is located at the point where air is pulled into the system allowing it to trap airborne particles that get sucked into the air to keep them from getting clogged or blocked in the coils of the air handling system.
How Long Do Air Filters Last
It is a recommendation from air handling manufacturers that you should frequently change your HVAC air filter at least every 30 days to ensure that the efficiency of the filter is upheld as air passes through the filter. There are a variety of different types of air filters that are available to consumers that range in price, quality, and material used. Depending on what air filter you utilize in your ac system, the life of the filter can vary as some can last for up to 6 months in an air handling system.
The longer the filter is in the ac, the more dirt, dust, and allergens are trapped in the filter which can decrease the efficiency of the filter. The best determining factor if you should change your air filter is just to look at the filter and examine the level of contaminants present on the filter media – this will give you a good estimate on the next time you should switch out the filter.
Signs of Bad Air Filter in Home
The signs of a bad air filter in your home’s air handling system can sometimes go unnoticed by homeowners as they forget to regularly change out their HVAC filter. What are the major signs that your air filter needs to be changed in your home? Below we will discuss the signs to be on the lookout for in your home.
Asthma/Allergy Spikes
Did you know that inside air can be more polluted than the air outside? This is especially true when our home’s air filters are backed up and unable to effectively capture airborne contaminants in the air that can impact human health. For those who are prone to allergies and asthma, exposure to these airborne contaminants and allergens in the air can significantly trigger symptoms in these individuals. If a sudden spark occurs in allergy and asthma symptoms inside your home, this may be a major indicator that a new air filter is needed in your air handling system.
Dirty Air Filter
If your air filter is dirty inside of your HVAC system than everything past the filter is dirty too – including the air you breathe. This will be a good indicator that a filter change is impending sooner rather than later. Check the appearance of your filter inside the air system to determine if it has reached maximum capacity on the air filter for contaminants.
Build Up of Dust
When you are cleaning inside your home you may begin to notice an unusually large amount of dust on the surfaces. This can be due to the air filter that is placed in your ac system – as it is either inefficient or needs to be replaced as it has lost its efficacy in removing particulates from the air. If you begin to notice that this buildup occurs on your air filter more frequently than you would like than you may consider upgrading your filter to a more durable filter that will last for longer in your system.
How to Select the Best Home Air Filter
Have you seen undesirable results in your home’s air from the air filter you are currently using in your air handling system? As we discussed earlier, there are many different types of air filters that are available on the market for consumers – and each of these filters differ in effectiveness. A more expensive air filter will have a higher efficiency rate than that of a lower cost air filter that uses a cheaper material filter. Therefore, if you start to experience allergy/asthma symptoms or just want to upgrade your air filter to have cleaner air than now is the time to purchase a higher quality, more-expensive air filter.
Every time you open the door or a window, something from the outside gets in and taints your indoor air quality. Whether it be diesel fuel, methanol, ammonia, phosphoric acid, pollen, or smoke the different contaminants that can come in your home is endless. This stresses the importance of your HVAC filter in your air handling system to protect your ac system and the air that you breathe in this personal indoor environment.
The EnviroKlenz HVAC Air Filter is the ultimate air filter for your air handling system – with no contaminant a match for the patented technology within this HVAC air filter. A typical HVAC filter removes bacteria and particles like dust and dander to keep your air cleaner and your vents debris-free. And although that is a good thing, there are many other contaminants that travel in your indoor air such as VOCs and other toxic chemicals. The EnviroKlenz HVAC Air Filter is made with a patented earth mineral technology to capture and destroy harmful compounds that would otherwise aggravate your sensitivities.
By implementing the EnviroKlenz HVAC filter in your air handling system or furnace, it will work to destroy noxious chemicals and odors rather than just trapping particulates like other HVAC filters and HEPA filters. A well-rounded air filter that is designed to meet all your indoor air quality needs and eliminate those harmful contaminants from the air you breathe.
