It's that time again, it's time to change your HVAC air filters. Some people coordinate this activity with the time change, along with your smoke detector batteries. This also depends on the life of the air filters you use. However you schedule the rotation, it's critical to the maintenance of your HVAC equipment to make sure you have clean air filters. Living in Las Vegas, we change or clean our filters about every 4 months, this is typically in sync with switching from needed to use the heater to air conditioner. Air Filters can be found at most major home improvement retail stores, some grocery stores, there are also online services that will ship air filters on a scheduled basis, as a reminder that the time is near. 

The Department of Energy reports that changing your HVAC filter on a regular basis can improve HVAC efficiency from 5%-15% while also lowering your power bill.

 

Replacing your HVAC air filter:

  • If you don't know the size, carefully open the grate and identify the measurement of the air filters that are already installed. 
  • When you're ready to replace, it's best to have a large trash bag or trash can near to immediately put the old dirty filters in. Unlock the latches and carefully swing the door open. 
  • Remove the filters and dispose
  • Wipe down the filter area with a paper towel or cloth. Sometimes a vacuum cleaner brush can get into the tight spots and remove excess dirt. 
  • When installing the new air filters, make sure you match the air flow arrows printed on the air filter frame. They should be pointing into the air intake, away from the exposed area.

 

More detailed information can be found on How Stuff Works 

As real estate agents, we've seen some pretty bad filter changes. Sometimes it's not something one thinks about when moving into a new home. Unless it's a brand new home, we always recommend adding this to your move-in check list. We are not HVAC specialists, if you have questions, or problems with your HVAC system please contact an HVAC professional.