Here at Furnace King, HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville, we are regularly asked by our customers about the importance of changing the air filters in your HVAC system—our simple answer, very. Air quality is important to health, to breathing ability, to allergies and to a good night’s sleep, and there is no more important air quality than that in your home. Especially given that the EPA has stated that indoor air quality is usually 70% more polluted than outdoor—and most of us spend over 80% of our lives indoors. This is why the EPA has ranked indoor air quality in the top five risks for public health.
So, how do you maintain a high quality of indoor air? Simple—by regularly changing your air filters.
How Often Should I Change my Air Filters?
If you’ve ever changed your air filter and said “eww”–then you’ve waited far too long. As HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville—we’ve seen ‘eww’ far too many times! Dirty, old air filters not only negatively affect your air quality but they also contribute to poor HVAC system performance and overworking/overloading.
How often you should change your air filters depends on a few factors:
·The type of air filters you use
·The desired air quality of your home
·The overall air quality outside your home
·If you have pets
·If you or your family has allergies
·How many people are living in your home
As a general rule of thumb you want to change it every 60 to 90 days, but the more pets you have, the more allergy sensitivities you have and the air quality can all shorten that period. For example the average suburban home without pets can generally go 90 days, but with pets it must be changed every 60. Homes with more than one pet or with people with allergies will want to change it every 30-45 days.
A Tip from HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville—Remember To Change It
We all lead busy lives and changing our air filter is rarely at the top of our priority lists. These days however it is easy to remember, simply set an alarm/event/notice on your smartphone to remind you.