Do I Really Have To Change My Air Filter Often?

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11/25/2015

HVAC Maintenance

Filters in your HVAC systems need to be changed periodically to ensure that the unit is running in peak efficiency and is not consuming more energy that it is supposed to. That said, there is no set rules for the required change-out frequency and the latter depends on a number of factors including the nature of the unit, what type of filter is used , where the unit is located and other environmental factors.

Units for residential facilities normally use pleated air filter, standard fiberglass throwaway filters or throwaway polyester filters. The efficiency levels of these filters vary but all of them need to be changed roughly every three months. But as we have already said, depending on various environmental factors, the homeowners may need to change their HVAC filters even more frequently than that. For example, if your home receives heavy foot traffic or if you have a pet or a smoker in the household, air filters may get clogged with pet hair, tobacco smoke and dirt from heavy footfall and in all of these cases, the normal lifespan of the filters will decrease.

Commercial HVAC Maintenance

Commercial and industrial units use more efficient and sophisticated air filters and change-out frequency will decrease in case of these filters. For example, with media air cleaners such as of the space guard variety, the lifespan can be 6 months to 1 year. However, change-out frequencies vary a great deal when it comes to commercial and industrial facilities, depending mainly on the nature of the activities performed within the premises.

The frequency is much higher in case of most industrial facilities and production units as the premises there typically stay saturated with many airborne pollutants, contaminants, soot and smoke. The production facilities normally use extensive filtration systems, but even then the filters often require to be changed every week.

In commercial sectors, restaurants need to change their filters every 1-2 months. This again will depend on the type of filter used and the footfall received. In case of strip malls, retail chains, the change-out frequency typically hovers around the 3-month mark.

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