Warm weather is finally on its way again, and hot weather won’t be far behind. Many homeowners with an air conditioning (AC) unit may start wondering when and how to change their unit’s filter. Luckily, we’re here to help how often you should be changing out the AC filter in your home.

First off: How often it should be done

The unfortunate reality is that it just depends. You’ll have to ask yourself a few questions to figure out which kind of filter you have and what your individual needs are. First off – How would you rate the quality of air in your home when the AC is running? Excellent? Good, fair? …Poor? If you’ve noticed any strange smells coming from your AC, or have noticed a generally icky feeling to your air quality, call yourself an AC technician, because these are good indicators that you’re ready for a tune-up.

Otherwise, if you use standard 1 to 3-inch filters, an allergy-free homeowner should change filters every one to two months. But if you suffer from light to moderate allergies, change them more often, every three weeks or so. Pet owners with multiple pets will want to change filters every twenty or forty-five days. Additional people in the home will make this number veer to the lower end… Especially if you live in a particularly polluted area.

With maybe a pet and somebody who’s a little more sensitive to dander, the average home will want to change filters about every month. You shouldn’t have to change them more often than every twenty days, even in the roughest of conditions.

Finding the Right Filter

There are many different kinds of filters for many different types of AC units. If you have central air, your filter will likely be in the wall or ceiling somewhere – Look for a square or round grate where you can feel cool air moving past. Visit your AC’s manufacturer website or call a trusted technician to learn more about where it might be, and what kind of filter you might need. You could also remove the one you have right now and look on the frame to find the type of filter you need – Look for the width, depth, and height measurements!

How to Change Your AC Filter

As we suggested in the previous paragraph, the first step to changing your AC filter is to find your AC filter. Believe it or not, some people have a lot of trouble with this step, so don’t worry if you do! Next, identify what kind of filter you use. Older systems will tend towards fiberglass filters, and these will need to be swapped out more regularly – Again, around once a month. Newer pleated filters can manage to run longer, but manufacturers will usually recommend changing them every 45 days to keep your AC running efficiently.

A media filter looks a bit like the pleated filters, but they last significantly longer. Be sure to get these if your system uses them for the best efficiency – And make sure all the sizes match! If there’s even a minor gap, you could be blowing unfiltered air and who knows what else into your home.

As silly as this may sound, once you’ve purchased your new filter, you have to install it. So many homeowners will buy a new filter and let it collect dust before installing it, and that doesn’t do you any good. Most filters are relatively flexible and lack any screws holding them in, but if there are mounting screws, be sure to take them out one at a time and put there somewhere safe until you’re ready to use them again. Wear a dust mask and grab onto your old filter, and pull it right out. Your new one can go in much the same way – Make sure it’s installed evenly for efficient airflow.

Window units are usually a matter of sliding out the old filter and popping in a new one – Make sure to follow your manufacturer’s specific instructions if your unit has any special needs.

In Conclusion

It isn’t that hard to change out your filters! It can be a little messy and dusty, but make sure to make this a regular part of your AC unit’s maintenance routine. People with pets and/or allergies, who use their AC more often, will want to change their filter more often than others.