It's important to regularly change your furnace filter to ensure that your home's air is clean and free of pollutants. The frequency of filter changes depends on the type of filter you have, the size of your home, and the number of people living in it. Generally, a one-inch filter should be changed every one to three months, while a three- to four-inch filter can last six to nine months. A five- to six-inch coarse-grained filter can last nine to twelve months.
If you have pets or live in a dry and dusty climate, you may need to change your filter more often. The Minimum Efficiency Report Value (MERV) rating of your filter also affects how often it needs to be changed. Filters with a MERV rating of 6 to 9 should be changed every 90 days, while those with a MERV rating of 10 to 12 should be changed every 60 days. Vacation homes or homes that don't get much use can expect to change filters every 9-12 months.
It's important to note that there are high-efficiency filters that are designed to filter out small particles of bacteria, mold and mildew, but your standard MERV 8-11 filters will simply block out larger particles of dust, dirt & hair. If you live in a temperate region, such as the Southwest, you may only run the oven a handful of times during the winter, and the standard 90-day guideline might be perfect for you. In a large household, changing oven filters is done more often than in homes with only one or two occupants. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for how often to replace filters. If you're unsure about how often you should change your furnace filter, have one of our HVAC professionals come and inspect it for you.
Maintaining new filters in your oven will help ensure that your oven runs smoothly and efficiently and, most importantly, that the air you and your family breathe is as clean as possible.
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