How Often Should You Change Your Air Filter?

The quality and content of the air in your home plays a huge role in your well-being. Air filters help ensure that your air is clean and pollutants are captured by using an electrostatic charge filter with your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. They effectively work to remove common allergens. This is specifically air quality that can negatively impact your health.

The most common allergens that air filters remove are:

Pollen

Dust

Pet hair and dander

Mold

Bacterial and virus cells

Lint

Smoke, gas, and odors

In combination with your HVAC system, air filters remove these particles from your indoor air using the methods of inertial impaction, adsorption, interception, or diffusion, allowing clean, purified air to filter into your home.

The most common types of air filters are pleated polyester or cotton Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rated filters, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, activated carbon filters, and electrostatic filters.

Each offers a different method of filtration to help you stay healthy, reduce your reaction to allergen, and limit your symptoms of seasonal rhinitis and allergy induced asthma. The most common kinds of air filters you’ll find are pleated polyester or cotton MERV rated filters, HEPA filters, activated carbon filters and electrostatic filters.

Each of these filters offers a different method of filtration to help you stay healthy, reducing your reaction to allergens and limiting your symptoms of seasonal rhinitis and allergy induced asthma.

Before you use an air filter, it’s important to know which one is right for you. Consider what particles you need removed as well as the filters' MERV rating and the material the filter is made of. This will impact its filtration capability as well as how frequently you’ll have to replace it. To understand which filter will serve your needs, here is a breakdown of how they work:

Pleated MERV Rated Filters: Made of fabrics like polyester or cotton pleated filters, Pleated MERV Rated filters have a larger surface area than unpleated filters, allowing more particles to be captured. The pleated design also allows for various particle sizes to be captured, from the largest to the smallest, creating cleaner indoor air. This filter typically lasts longer so is best used if you’re looking to remove a wide variety of particles.

High Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) Filters: As the name suggests, these are the most efficient air filters. High Efficiency Particle Air filters remove the highest number of allergens from your indoor air.

With a filtration capacity of 99.97%, this filter is an excellent choice for those who suffer from a respiratory condition. However, they are typically more expensive than pleated air filters.

Carbon/Activated Carbon Filters: Thanks to the porous nature of the carbon used in these filters, its able to trap VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). This includes gas, odor, and smoke molecules, preventing them from being circulated back into the air. Since carbon filters have a limited capacity to remove other allergens, its best used to remove smells, smoke, and odors.

Electrostatic Air Filters: Using static electricity, this filter removes particles by magnetically drawing them in and trapping them. When the allergen filled air passes through the filter, it receives an electric charge. This causes it to stick to fibers with an opposite charge in the filter.

One of the main benefits of this filter is its reusable nature, making it affordable and cost-effective. However, these filters are not effective at trapping larger particles.

Multiple factors can affect how long your air filter lasts such as the material it’s made of to the allergens it traps. Knowing how they affect your filter will allow you to care for your filter and HVAC system, keeping your air contaminant-free for longer and your HVAC system healthy.

Common Allergen/Asthma Triggers

If you or a loved one suffer from asthma or a respiratory condition having clean, purified air is a necessity to avoid serious illness or allergic reactions. Because of this you might find yourself needing to replace your filter more often to keep the air clean consistently.

Combustion Pollutants

Combustion pollutants are gasses and particles that are created by burning fuels in your home. This commonly occurs in fireplaces, wood stoves, gas heaters, and charcoal grills.

When your home isn’t properly ventilated and these appliances are used, a build-up occurs, causing more pressure on your filter. When using these appliances its recommended that you use a higher rated air filter to remove as much of these gasses as possible and that you change your filter every month or two to gain the most value from it and keep your air clean.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)   in the Home

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds, often emitted as gasses, that evaporate fast and don’t easily dissolve in water. This are commonly found in cleaning products such as paints, varnishes, and pesticides.

The more frequently you use these products, the more VOCs there are in the air. To help alleviate these gases, remove the pressure from your air filter and clean and replace it regularly. Additionally, use an activated carbon fiber filter to help remove gases.

Dreaded Mold

Stemming from fungal spores, mold loves to grow in the damp, humid corners of your home. While a filter may help prevent this, these spores could become trapped in your filter and begin to grow there. This is especially harmful as your filter could cycle mold spores back into your home and into your airways.

Household Dust

Household dust is accumulated and contains a combination of particles from your home. It lives on pet hair, your hair, and even dead skin cells. Additionally, if there are many people in your home, you might have higher amounts of dust. Having multiple filters and cleaning regularly can help mitigate this.

Pet Dander

Pet dander can become an issue to your air quality. This can be impacted by how many pets you have, how much they shed, and the frequency of your filter. At high concentrations, pet hair can clog up your filter, negatively impacting the quality of air being cycled into your home and potentially even having the dander filled air being cycled back into your home. It to clean and change your air filter regularly so it can effectively capture dander. Should you find yourself in an allergy attack, make sure to have a line of Kleenex tissues ready.

Depending on where you live as well if it’s a high pollen or dust area, how many pets you have, and the kinds of allergens being filtered, the recommend replacement times for air filters can vary slightly.

However, most MERV rated air filter manufacturers will agree that to maintain the integrity of your filter and have the cleanest air, its best to replace your filter every 90 days or three months as recommended by the EPA. Kleenex Air Filters should be changed out every 90 days for MERV 8, 11, 13 and 12 months for MERV 12 filters.

HEPA filters are typically replaced every two years. However, it is important to check them every six months to ensure that there isn’t an overgrowth of buildup.

Unfortunately, with carbon filters there isn’t an accurate way to tell when it’s time to replace them. Although they should be replaced regularly, some recommendations state that you might be able to tell based on the smell of the filter but its best to follow the guidelines established by the manufacturer.

Now that 90 days have passed, it's time to replace your air filter. Follow this step-by-step guide and you'll have fresh and clean air circulating in no time.  

Step 1:  

Measure your air filter to buy the correct size replacement.  

Step 2:  

Turn off your HVAC unit. Locate your air filter. It can usually be found in an attached air filter case or in the mounted return air grille.  

Step 3:  

Remove and throw out the old filter, taking note of the direction arrows printed on the edge.  

Step 4:  

Insert your new filter, making sure you follow those direction arrows on the edge. Once done close and secure your filter in place.  

Step 5:  

Turn your HVAC system back on and enjoy your fresh, clean air.

The quality of the air in your home plays a vital role in your health. Air filters provide a terrific way for you to enjoy clean air while alleviating symptoms of allergic rhinitis and respiratory conditions as well as common household smells and odors.

Kleenex Air Filters are designed to protect your home and family with clean air by providing with our wide range of filters. From MERV rating 8-13, Kleenex Allergen Air Filters can help capture pet dander, dust, pollen, other allergens, and pollutants. Deep clean your hair the easy breezy way.