It's important to know when to change your furnace air filter in order to keep your heating and cooling system running smoothly. A good rule of thumb is to replace 1- to 2-inch filters every three months, 4-inch filters every six months, and 5-inch filters every 12 months. If you can't see the filter material itself, it's definitely time for a replacement. In most cases, you should replace the filter at least every three months, even in summer.
If you can't seem to remember to do it, a good rule of thumb is to change your oven filter every time the seasons change. For 3- and 4-inch filters, plan a replacement approximately every six to nine months. If you have larger 5- or 6-inch filters, you'll need to change them every nine to 12 months. If you are allergic to dust or pet dander, you should change your air filters more regularly than every 90 days. Try replacing filters after 60 days, and if your allergies continue to increase, consider changing them every month or changing them to pleated filters. Disposable oven filters are usually made of fiberglass or cotton and are designed to trap airborne contaminants such as dust, dirt, hair, mold and other allergens.
This helps protect the oven from these particles and also improves air quality in your home. Clogged filters not only negatively affect the air quality in a home, but also force the oven to work harder to draw air into the system and thus shorten the life of the oven. When you remove the air filter from the air handling unit, if you hold it close to a light source, you can see if the filter is dirty or clogged; if you can't see the light through the filter, it's definitely time to change it. But how often do you need to change the air filter? How often do you need to change the oven filter? Well, it depends. If you have poor outdoor air quality or pets indoors, you'll need to replace your air filter more often. If you take a look at the filter replacement aisle at your favorite hardware store, you'll see that there are a lot of options to choose from, many different types of filters that impact frequency changes.
Thicker filters have more media available to capture contaminants, so a 5-inch filter requires less frequent changes than a 1-inch filter. And since installing a new oven costs thousands of dollars, it's in your financial interest to take good care of the one you have. However, northerners whose ovens have no rest for months may want to change their filter every 30 to 60 days, because more air is being drawn through the filter and it will clog more quickly. When oven filters are forgotten or neglected, several problems arise in Cincinnati homes. The primary function of an oven filter is not for air quality reasons but rather to keep contaminants out of the heating and cooling system. To ensure that your heating and cooling system runs smoothly and efficiently all year round, it's important that you know when it's time to replace your furnace air filter.
A good rule of thumb is 1-2 inch filters every three months, 4 inch filters every six months and 5 inch filters every 12 months. If you can't see the filter material itself or if you have poor outdoor air quality or pets indoors then it's best that you replace your air filter more often. Call Thomas & Galbraith today for reliable heating and cooling service.