It's important to change your furnace filter regularly to ensure optimal performance of your HVAC system. Depending on the type of filter you use, the location of your home, and the number of people and pets in your household, the frequency of filter changes can vary. For a one-inch oven filter, it's recommended to change it every one to three months. A three- to four-inch filter should be replaced every six to nine months, while a five- to six-inch coarse-grained filter can last nine to twelve months.
In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies suggest changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months. However, this may vary depending on the environment of your home (e.g. dry and dusty climates), if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets in your home, you should consider changing the filter every 60 days or 2 months.
For households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we recommend changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Vacation homes or vacant homes that don't have much use can expect to change filters every 9-12 months. The more you use your home, the more often you need to change the air filter. 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. Filters with a MERV 16 rating or lower are considered HVAC system grade filters for residential, commercial, and general hospital use. It's a general recommendation to change your home's air filter every 30 days when using less expensive fiberglass filters. The Minimum Efficiency Report Value (MERV) rating for an air filter measures how effectively the filter prevents dust and other contaminants from passing through the filter into the air stream.
The filter is located at the beginning of the process and filters contaminants from the air before they enter the oven. Depending on your lifestyle and the type of oven filter you choose, you may want to change it more often. No two houses are the same, so despite guidelines, you may need to change your boiler filter more often than your neighbor. Even if no one in the house is allergic, it's wise to change the oven filter frequently, as often as every 30 days if you have multiple pets, to keep the oven running efficiently. In summer and winter, owners often change oven filters more frequently than in autumn and spring.
Thicker filters have more media available to capture contaminants, so a 5-inch filter requires less frequent changes than a 1-inch filter. If you live in a “smaller house”, your air conditioners and ovens need to pump less air for the same amount of temperature change, which could mean fewer filter changes. The longer the filter is in place, the more dirt, dust and allergens are trapped, clogging the filter and decreasing its efficiency. As a general rule of thumb, it's best practice to replace your home's pleated air filters and heating filters every 90 days.
