Changing Your Air Conditioning Filter

Changing your air conditioning filter is very important to the health of your air conditioning system and your energy costs. We’ve written previous articles about maintaining your air conditioner, but this article specifically focuses on your air filter.

Dirty A/C filters cause the unit to have issues breathing. When air conditioning filters are dirty, they make the unit work harder and longer, which reduces the overall life of the unit and causes your energy costs to increase.

Located in Forney, we see many air conditioners in the area and surrounding cities like Heath, Terrell, Mesquite, Rockwall and Crandall. From the filters we see, it is a good idea to change your filter before the summer heat and after summer is over. Since the heat can be significant in the summer months, we recommend changing the filter at least every 3 months during the cooling months.

Air filters come in a variety of forms and sizes. When you buy a air conditioning filter, first make sure it is the correct size for your home. Second, check the MERV rating of the filter you are purchasing. Medium efficiency filters with a MERV rating between 5 and 13 are efficient at removing airborne particles. Filters with a MERV rating between 7 and 13 are likely to be as effective as a true HEPA filter.

A high efficiency filter will have a MERV of 14 to 16. Just a note, when you purchase a better air filter, more particles will be kept out of your A/C system. However, this may mean that you need to change your filter more frequently. If you purchase a cheap air filter with a low MERV, it won’t keep as much out, but may need to be changed less because it isn’t as efficient at filtering particles.

At Lakeside Air in Forney, we recommend at least a medium efficiency air filter. These are sold at places like Home Depot, Lowes and Wal-Mart.

If you have nay questions about your air conditioning system or your air filters, contact us today.