You might be surprised at the amount of pollutants that are floating around your Cleveland area home. One of the main lines of defense you have against poor indoor air quality is the air filter on your forced-air heating and cooling equipment. The best way to keep the air filter working properly is with routine air filter replacement.

How Does Air Filter Replacement Benefit Air Quality?

The simple fact is that a dirty air filter cannot trap dust and debris, including various unwanted pollutants and allergens, as well as a clean filter. They’ll blow past a clogged filter, or else settle in your ducts, further degrading indoor air quality. In addition to poor air quality, a dirty filter will reduce system efficiency, damage equipment, and waste energy. Without regular air filter replacement, indoor air quality only gets worse the longer time between air filter changes.

Poor air quality can cause a variety of symptoms in people. According to the American Lung Association, dirty air can cause dry eyes, headaches, nasal congestion, fatigue, and nausea. Bad air also contributes to the development of chronic lung disorders like asthma. It has been linked to allergies, lung infections and even cancer. The U.S. EPA ranks poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest threat to the environment.

That is why you need to make replacing your air filter a priority for your family’s health, as well as energy efficiency and heating and cooling performance.

How Often Is Air Filter Replacement Necessary?

Most HVAC system manufacturers recommend checking the air filter once a month, replacing when dirty. Some filters are designed to last three months or even longer. However, it’s important to still perform monthly checks because during periods of heavy use, such as the depths of winter, debris can accumulate quite quickly. Circumstances in the home, such as the presence of long-haired pets or being situated near a dirt road, can also necessitate more frequent filter changes.

For more information on improving the quality of your home’s indoor air, contact us here at Stack Heating & Cooling. We’ve been proudly serving our neighbors in the Greater Cleveland area since 1976. We can help you evaluate your current indoor air quality and make recommendations for further improvements. Give us a call today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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