When Should I Change My Air Conditioner's Air Filter at Home?

Want the short answer? See our FAQ on "How often to change the air filter".  

1. Understanding just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter.
2. Remembering to change air filters when needed.

When To Change Your Air Filters

Most filters have a timeline printed on the box or plastic. It may say "Lasts up to 3 months" or "Change filter every 90 days". Look around at the store and you'll see that some are engineered to only last a month, while other manufacturers (like Honeywell) have produced media air cleaners with filters meant to be changed once every 6-12 months. The standard seems to be once every 3 months for most higher quality filters, but we have a rule of thumb that we tell our readers to go by. If they're dirty, change them! A dirty air filter can add or cause damage to costly parts, like your compressor, so it's better to change it out more often than neglect it. If you want to listen to the manufacturer's recommended limit, we suggest marking the date on the filter when you swap it out, and programming a reminder for yourself in your phone or on a calendar. Also note that your filter manufacturer may have a different recommendation from your HVAC system manufacturer.

Deciding how often to change your air filters can depend on several factors:

• Type of filter your A/C system requires
• The overall air quality of your Fort Worth area home
• Pets – Cats, dogs, birds, etc.
• Number of occupants in the house
• General air pollution in the Fort Worth area or construction taking place nearby

For the common 1"-3" air filters, the manufacturers basically say to change them bi-monthly, which is really a great rule of thumb. But generalities may not be suitable for your specific needs. If you put up with light to moderate allergies, you might require an upgraded air filter or change them even more regularly than OEM specifications. On the other hand, if you're in a less populated area, own a infrequently occupied home (like a vacation home) or an area with few automobiles and trucks, annual replacement of your air filter may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter in no time, just like a vacuum. Naturally, the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but exceptionally dirty filters can cause seriously reduced HVAC performance.

In summary:

• Infrequently occupied home or single occupant homes without pets or allergies: Change 6-12 months
• Common suburban home without pets: Change every 90 days
• House with a pet: Change every 60 days
• Several pets or have allergies: Change every 30-45 days

How To Remember To Change Your Air Conditioner's Air Filters

Here’s an easy way to stay on top of this; sign up for the Service Experts Email Club. This is a great to receive discounts on service, tips and other helpful information directly to your email. But wait… there’s more, your email subscription preferences let’s you set a reminder to change your Fort Worth area home's air filter every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or any date you find most convenient.

How to replace your return air filter

Most people know how to replace the air filter in their equipment, but some houses have an extra filter in the return ducts. Whether you have one or not is dependent on which HVAC system you have. Your unit is designed to handle a set amount of pressure in your home, and the more filters you have the more the blower motor works, which can reduce the life expectancy of your system if it isn't designed for it. Learning whether you have a return filter and replacing it is a piece of cake:

1. Go to your return air vents.
2. Some covers have screws and some have tabs. Unscrew or pull tabs to pull off the wall.
3. Check for a filter. If one is inside, pull it out and record the size.
4. Verify the filter type is the one recommended by the manufacturer.
5. If filter is dirty, replace with the manufacturer's recommended filter of the same size and type.