How Often Do I Need to Change My Air Filter?

Blog How Often Do I Need to Change My Air Filter? Schedule Service How Often Do I Need to Change My Air Filter?

July 27, 2015

If you have a forced-air cooling system, and most people do for their whole home cooling, then you have an air filter. The job of a standard air filter is to block large particles of dirt and dust, as well as debris, from entering your AC system. As you can imagine, there are literally millions of particles of dust and dirt to contend with, so it's important to change your air filter on a timely basis. The industry standard is to change your air filter every 3 months; it's every 2 months if you have pets and/or smokers in your home. Don't know how to change the air filter in your home? The air conditioning experts at Bronco Plumbing Heating and Air can teach you how to change your air filter in Carmichael, CA, so that you can keep your AC healthy. But first, let's take a look at why it's important to change your air filter:

• A dirty air filter reduces the air flow in your system - a dirty air filter will act as a block to your AC's air flow, reducing it significantly.
• Icing can develop - when the air flow in your AC system is reduced, it can imbalance the cooling process. Sometimes this results in ice build-up on the evaporator coils.
• Decreases indoor air quality - while your standard air filter isn't responsible for keeping your indoor air clean, a dirty, clogged filter will deliver countless particles into your home directly through the ductwork. This can significantly decrease your home's indoor air quality.

Do You Need Help Changing Your Air Filter?

The experts at Bronco Plumbing Heating and Air can help you locate where your air filter is and show you how to change it as needed. However, if you are looking for your air filter on your own, these are the common places where it may be residing:

• For horizontal ACs with a side return duct - the air filter will be in a slot on the return side of the AC
• For horizontal ACs with a side return duct - the air filter will be in a slot on the return side of the AC
• For vertical ACs with the return duct located below the air handler - the filter is in a slot below the AC
• For other types of air conditioners - there are two common locations for the air filter: behind the return air grill on a wall or behind each vent grill