How To Replace Air Filter In Your House

The quality of air in today’s environment is decreasing rapidly, and stopping this problem looks impossible. This issue is caused by deforestation, the release of toxic gas into the atmosphere by industries, the increase in the use of automobiles, and many more. This environmental problem also affects the air inside your home, and according to some studies, indoor air quality is 2 to 3 times worse than the outside air because of poor ventilation in most of the houses. As you know, every problem has a solution, and the solution to indoor air is the air filter.

The air filter is one of the important parts of an HVAC system, which means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. A filter is very helpful in providing clean air, but there is a problem with it, the HVAC air filter requires to be changed regularly. Now you must be thinking, Why does it need to be changed? Can I change it in my home by myself? This kind of question must be haunting you now. Well, don't worry, you are lucky today because in this blog you will find every answer to your questions about changing an air filter.

What Is Air Filter And Its Types?

In simple terms, an air filter is a medium or a platform between air and an HVAC system in your home. The purpose of a filter is to eliminate airborne particles and pollutants like dust, pollen, dander, debris, etc. These particles decrease the quality of air in your home, which can have negative effects on you and your HVAC unit. Many types of air filters are available on the market, and here they are:

• HEPA Filters: One of the most effective filters that are available on the market is HEPA filters because of their efficiency at capturing microscopic particles, which include viruses, bacteria, allergens, and many more. These filters eliminate almost 99.97% of airborne particles.
• Pleated Filters: The pleated filters got their name because of the design and material they are made with. These filters are created with paper or cloth that is folded into small series pleats, this increases their surface area and makes them efficient for huge amounts of air pollutants like pollen, dander, debris, etc.
• Activated Carbon Filters: Filters that use activated charcoal (carbon) for their filtration process are known as activated carbon filters. The main ingredient that is used in these filters is charcoal. because it is a great natural filter. They use a process called adsorption, which means attracting contaminants to their surface and making them stay there.
• UV Light Filters: UV filters use UV-C light (short-wave ultraviolet light) to purify air from contaminants like bacteria and viruses. These filters eliminate pollutants when they pass through their UV light; for places where strenuous is important, filters like UV light are best.

Common Sizes And How To Find The Right One

Learning about the sizes of an air filter and how to find the right one is very beneficial to you and your HVAC system because it helps the filter work efficiently. The air filters have three dimensions, and that are length, width, and thickness. For example, 20x20x1, which means this filter is 20 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Here are some common sizes of air filters:

To find the right size of your air filter for your HVAC system, you can read the manual that comes with your system. Most of the time, the size of an air filter is mentioned in the manual. You can check your current air filter’s edge because usually the dimensions are mentioned on it. Measuring your HVAC unit's filter slot can also provide the right size for your filter. Remember, you should make sure that the size of your new air filter matches exactly with your current filter because a small difference can impact its efficiency.

Learn more about selecting the right air filter size here.

Step-By-Step Guide To Changing The Air Filter

As you can understand by reading the above section, the old filter needs to be removed from your HVAC unit. Changing your HVAC air filter is a very is thing to do. You can follow some guidelines and steps to do it. Here is the step-by-step process for replacing your dirty filter with a new one:

Step 1: Turn Off The HVAC Unit

It is very important to turn off your system before changing an air filter because replacing the filter while the system is running can spread dust to your home and put your HVAC unit at risk. To turn off the system, just simply shut down your whole HVAC system, or you can set the thermostat to off the air blower of your unit. Before starting, gather the necessary tools and materials: a new air filter, a ladder (if needed), and a vacuum or damp cloth for thorough cleaning.

Step 2: Detach The Air Vent Cover And Remove The Filter

Some homes have air vents placed in high positions, so you may need to use a ladder.  Remove the clips of the air vent carefully and take out the old filter. You may need to use a screwdriver in some cases. After this, carefully put the filter inside a bag so all the collected dirt and debris doesn’t roam around your house.

Step 3: Clean The Vent Cover Slats

Dirt and debris can be found on the slats of the air vent latch, so it is important to clean it before installing a new air filter inside. Use a vacuum cleaner or a damp rag to remove all the dirty mess, and do it carefully so the dirt doesn’t spread inside your house.

Step 4: Place The New Filter

Cross-check your new air filter replacement to ensure it has the size of the previous filter and fits properly into the HVAC system. Now put the new filter inside its cabinet and check it is placed in the same direction of the airflow. After this, reattach the air vent cover and make sure it's completely closed.

Step 5: Turn On The HVAC Unit

The last step is to turn on your HVAC system by using a thermostat or from the main switch. You will notice that the system creates less noise when the old filter is replaced because the old filter makes the unit work harder, and that creates a louder noise.

Tip*: Before starting, gather the necessary tools and materials: a new air filter, a ladder (if needed), and a vacuum or damp cloth for thorough cleaning.

Benefits Of Changing An Air Filter

Keeping your old air filter can have some disadvantages, but changing it regularly provides many benefits to you and your HVAC system. By knowing this, you understand why changing the filter is so crucial. Here are some of the top benefits that come with replacing a filter regularly:

Better Energy Efficiency

Changing an old filter and replacing it with a new one keeps your HVAC unit working without putting extra load on its components because a clean filter maintains a proper flow of air. When your system works efficiently, it doesn’t require extra energy, which increases its energy efficiency and saves your pocket.

Unnecessary Repair Prevention

A new air filter helps to provide a proper air supply to your HVAC unit, which makes it work effectively without putting any stress on its components. When your system works stress-free, then the probability of any unnecessary damages becomes zero, and because of this, you protect your hard-earned money from spending on some issue that can be prevented.

Improves Temperature Control

Your HVAC system needs a sufficient amount of air supply to control the temperature of your home or office. A new air filter doesn’t disrupt the air supply; due to this, your system becomes able to provide better control of temperature according to your needs.

Better Air Quality

The most important benefit of replacing an old air filter is improving air quality. The new filter will effectively remove contaminants from the air, such as pollen, dust, debris, etc. That's why the new filter will provide you with better air quality.

Increases HVAC Unit’s Life

When your filter is new, it lets air pass through it sufficiently, which helps to maintain a proper air supply to your HVAC unit. This helps your system’s every component to work efficiently and smoothly, which increases its lifespan and increases the date of replacing your whole HVAC unit.

When To Change Your Filter

The new air filter starts to get dirty over time, and it needs a new replacement. Now, you must be wondering, When should you change your air filter? Well, according to experts, you should change your filter every 3 to 6 months, but this time can change due to many factors. In this section, you are about to know signs that show you it is time to bring a new air filter.

Burning Smell

If your current filter is causing some kind of smell of burning in your house, that means you need to change your filter. This happens because over time all of the dirt and debris that is stuck on the filter doesn’t let air pass through it properly, so your HVAC unit works harder. When the unit puts pressure on its component to maintain a proper air supply, it starts overheating and creates a smell of burning. So when you notice a burning smell in your house, it's an indication your filter needs to be changed.

Bad Air Quality

You may need to change your HVAC filter when you notice air quality has decreased from its usual quality. When your current air filter requires a replacement, it doesn’t filter the air properly from dirt and debris. All of the contaminants are thrown back into your house, and as a result, the quality of air in your house starts declining. This decline increases the amount of dust in your house and triggers allergies if someone or you have it inside your house. So you should change your when you notice air quality is declining.

Poor Temperature Control

Your HVAC system requires a proper supply of air to maintain the room temperature that you want. When your filter starts getting dirty, it doesn’t let the air pass through it. Because of this, the system doesn’t get sufficient air supply, and as a result, it doesn’t control the temperature properly. You should always make sure that your HVAC system is providing sufficient temperature control, and if not, it's time for a new replacement of a current filter.

High Energy Bills

When your current air filter gets old and dirty, it restricts proper airflow; due to this, your HVAC unit forces its components to work more, and this leads to high energy consumption. When the system consumes more electricity, your energy bills will automatically rise. So you should always keep checking your energy bills, and if you notice that your current energy bill has increased, than the previous bill, it is a sign that you may need to change your filter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Changing Your Air Filter

Many individuals know the importance of an air filter, and they use it in their houses, but some common mistakes are done by them unknowingly. These mistakes can cause harm to them and their HVAC system. Here are some of these common mistakes:

Incorrect Filter Installation

Installing a new air filter is very crucial, mostly in those cases where filters don’t have any indication signs of airflow direction, which side it will fit, and more. When the filter is installed wrong, it will not purify the air. 

Lack of Inspection

Many users of an air filter don’t think that there is a need to inspect their HVAC filter because they follow the recommendation of changing the filter every 3 to 6 months. They don’t know that filters can get dirty earlier too. So inspecting the filter once a month will help you know when to change your filter.

Using Old Filter

Some individuals forget to change their air filters regularly, and this can lead to many problems, like an increase in energy bills, poor indoor air quality, unnecessary damage to HVAC units, etc. It is wise to mark a date on your calendar that shows you when to inspect your filter and when to change it.

Not Keeping Stock of Filters

Finding an air filter that fits properly to your HVAC system sometimes becomes difficult, so it is wise to buy filters in stock. This doesn’t mean going to a store and buying all of their filter’s stock; you just need to have more than one filter.

Tips For Maintenance

Proper maintenance of your HVAC air filter is important so it can work efficiently and remove airborne particles from the air in your house. You can follow some important things to make sure that the air filter is maintained and working effectively. Here are some great tips for maintaining your air filter:

Regular Filter Inspection

Your filter starts getting filled with dust and debris over time because all of the contaminants in your home stick to the surface of your filter. So inspecting your filter once a month will tell you whether your filter needs a new replacement or not. This helps to maintain your filter and its efficiency in controlling dust and other contaminants.

Changing Filters Regularly

According to the suggestions of HVAC professionals, your air filter needs a replacement every 3 to 6 months. Changing your air filter provides benefits to you and your HVAC system, like efficient air filtration, proper temperature control, and many more. So change your filter when the time comes or keep a calendar that tells you that you need to replace your filter this month or date.

Properly Fitting The Filter

When you bring a new filter to replace the old one, you should make sure that the filter fits properly while changing and placing your filter into the HVAC filter’s slot. If you don’t fit the filter properly and in the direction of airflow, which is an arrow labeled on a filter, it will not purify the air effectively.

Conclusion

An air filter is an important part of your HVAC system because it provides clean air to you by eliminating all of the contaminants like dust, debris, pollen, dander, etc. There are many types of filters, like HEPA, pleated, activated carbon, and many more. Changing your filter is important because it helps to provide better air quality efficiently, saves unnecessary energy bills, increases the life of your HVAC unit, etc., and keeping an old air filter can harm your system. To make sure your new air filter is placed correctly into the system, you should follow easy step-by-step guidelines.

Changing your old HVAC filter is easy, but finding a new filter for it can be difficult sometimes, so it will be a great idea to have a stock of filters. So you must be thinking now where you will find filter stock? Don’t worry! Because Custom Filters Direct is here, we provide the most effective filters to our customers, which satisfy their need for clean air. Our specialty is to provide size-customized filters with MERv ratings of 8, 11, and 13. So what are you waiting for? Contact us at (877) 812-7983 and order your stock of filters for your HVAC system today.

MERV 8 Air Filters

MERV 11 Air Filters

MERV 13 Air Filters

Frequently Asked Questions