Household Air Filters – Clean or Replace?
In your home there are number of household air filters which serve multiple purposes like keeping your appliances in optimal working order and maintaining healthful air quality. Kitchen range hoods, refrigerators, and other kitchen essentials, along with your HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system all count on these air filters to keep them working properly. In fact, these filters help appliances perform their duties with peak efficiency, avoid overheating, and prevent the contamination of the air inside your home.
The problem arises when you forget to clean or replace these air filters as needed. So, just how often should clean or replace your homes air filters? Let’s find out!
Timely Cleaning and Replacing of Air Filters
In most cases, your air filters need to be cleaned or replaced at least once a year, though two to four times annually is preferred. The timeline is contingent on the number of people who live in your home, if you have pets, if any family members have allergies, and the appliance itself. Most important in the process of cleaning or replacing air filters is to have a routine, put it on the calendar so you won’t forget, and stick to it throughout the year.
HVAC Filters
Ensuring the cleanliness of your HVAC filters helps you keep allergens, dust, and other unwanted contaminants out of your home. Plus, they help keep your air ducts clean in the process. For pet owners, replacing the air filters should occur every two months for best results. You can find the furnace filter located near your furnace. In most cases, the job is simple, get the dimensions of your filter, purchase a new one, and replace your furnace filter by removing the old one and sliding the new one into place. Depending on your central air conditioning, the filter may be the same or it may be a separate filter housed where the cool air comes into your home. Either way, the process is the same to replace the air filter. If you have a window-mounted air conditioner, you may have a reusable filter which can be cleaned or a replaceable filter. For central HVAC systems, you’ll also need to replace the filters of the return vents (where the air is drawn form inside your home). You should verify the size of each one, purchase the appropriate replacements, and install your new filters. Writing the date replaced directly on the filter with a permanent marker will help you remember when you need to replace your filters.
Refrigerator Filters
Just like with your HVAC system, you’ll want to follow the recommendation of your refrigerators manufacturer. The air filter in your refrigerator which keeps odors away should be replaced every six months. A good rule of thumb is to replace it when you replace your water filter. If your fridge doesn’t have an air filter, you’ll want to keep your condenser coils, fan, and grill clean to ensure optimum efficiency.
Reusable Filters
While the HVAC and refrigerator filters must be replaced, other appliances in your home (stove hood, vacuum, dehumidifier, etc.) have reusable filters which can be washed, dried, and reinserted into their respective appliance. While cleaning depends on the frequency with which you use your appliance, a good way to remember is doing the cleaning every four months or so.
Stove hoods can be cleaned with hot water and a degreaser, while dehumidifier filters should be washed with warm soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. Vacuum cleaner filters can be cleaned with warm soapy water and brushed clean if needed.
If you notice an overage of dust build-up in your home, it’s probably time to change all your filters. Should you need help getting everything cleaned effectively, call on the team at Signature Maids to get the job done well – from regular cleaning to deep cleaning!
