If you're wondering when to replace your 20x25x4 air filter, the answer depends on a few factors. In general, most air filter manufacturers and air conditioning companies recommend changing it every 90 days or 3 months. This can vary depending on the location of your home, if you have pets, and the age of your system and equipment. If you have pets in your home, it's best to change the filter every 60 days or 2 months.
For households with multiple pets or people with allergies or respiratory conditions, we suggest changing the filter every 20 to 45 days. Vacation homes or empty houses that don't get much use usually wait to change the filters every 9 to 12 months. The more you use your home, the more often you'll need to change the air filter. A general rule for pleated air filters (such as those manufactured by FilterBuy) is to replace them every 90 days.
As the filter traps more dirt, dust, and allergens from the air, its efficiency decreases. To determine if you should replace the filter more often, look for basic air filters from 1 to 3.Brands usually recommend that you change them every 30 to 90 days. If someone in your family has mild to moderate allergies, you can use a better air filter or change it more often. You need to clean and replace an air filter when it seems that air can't get through.
Consider factors such as location, pets, and allergies when deciding what type and quality of filter to use. For every dog that sheds hair, expect to replace the filter a month earlier than you would in a pet-free home. When you buy a new air filter, you'll find the manufacturer's recommendations for the replacement program. In smaller homes, the air conditioning system has to move less air, which may mean that air filters are replaced less frequently.
If you have small children in the house, it's a good idea to use high-quality pleated air filters and change them as often as two months. If you want a dog or cat that is hypoallergenic or that doesn't shed hair, you may not have to replace the air filter as much. When you change the air filter, you allow more air to flow through the system with lower energy consumption, which results in better circulation, cleaner air, and a lower electricity bill. While a filter with a higher MERV rating should last longer, it can also restrict airflow in your home.
Any homeowner knows that dust, pet hair, pollen, and many other unpleasant particles end up in the air filters in their home. Small-home furnaces and air conditioners need to pump less air to achieve the same temperature change, which can result in less frequent filter changes. Cats and dogs shed hair and have odors that can accumulate in their space, so it is necessary to change the filter every 2 months. Cats and dogs usually lose more hair when winter turns into spring and summer falls into autumn; these are key times to replace the filter.
