During the heart of the cooling or heating season, most HVAC experts recommend checking and changing the filter once a month. If you’ve found that you have a dirty air filter sooner, there are probably good reasons for it.
You have pets.
Cats and dogs shed fur and dander constantly and what doesn’t end up in the vacuum or waste basket will end up on the filter. Brushing your pets will increase their comfort and keep the air filter cleaner.
There might be ductwork leaks.
If you’ve noticed more dust around a few register covers throughout your home, you may have a leaking duct. Besides wasting energy, leaking ducts compromise air quality. If you can comfortably access the ductwork, look for areas that are dirtier than others to pinpoint the leak.
The most effective way to find the leaks is to have an HVAC contractor test the ductwork using pressurized equipment. The team will permanently seal them and retest to eliminate all the leaks throughout your ductwork system.
The fan runs continually.
If you run your HVAC system’s fan continuously for comfort or air cleaning, expect a dirty air filter sooner. The more air that goes through the filter, the more dust will trap.
Your home has a lot of fibers.
It’s a common myth that most of the dust in homes comes from the outdoors. In reality, it’s from the fibers inside that include carpeting, drapery, upholstery and clothing. New fabrics shed more lint, which can be controlled by vacuuming more often. It’s also a good idea to vacuum hard surface flooring instead of sweeping, which kicks up the particles into the air.
The filter is dense.
A higher quality filter will trap more airborne
particulates than a cheap one, which is good for air quality and keeps your HVAC system clean longer. If you choose a denser filter, be sure it’s pleated and doesn’t exceed the rating the manufacturer of your equipment recommends.
A dirty air filter may be symptomatic of serious ductwork leaks. To learn more, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, serving homeowners in Indianapolis.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
