Regularly Change Your HVAC Air Filter

The average American spends more than 90% of their time indoors. For the elderly and infants, the percentage is even higher. Most indoor air quality studies show that indoor air quality is 5 to 100 times greater than outdoor air pollution. The main reason is the air within your home is contained. Once pollutants get inside, they have a hard time getting out. The EPA has consistently ranked indoor air quality as one of the top 5 public health risks. Common diseases and conditions that can develop from poor air quality include:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Breathing difficulties
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Lack of energy

In larger public buildings, such as schools, offices, and offices indoor air quality can be even worse. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system within a building plays a critical role in maintaining clean air. The efficiency of a system is largely due to its HVAC filters. There are many different kinds of HVAC filters on the market. The most commonly used ones are:

• Disposable panel filters
• Automatic roll filters
• Pleated filters
• Mini pleated filters
• Medium and high efficiency bag filters
• Rigid cell filters
• Bulk media and pre-cut pads

A filter’s efficiency is determined by how well it removed dust, bacteria, and other airborne contaminants from the air. HVAC filters don’t just protect the air you breathe, they protect important components of the HVAC system that can be damaged by dust entering the system.

For optimal efficiency you should regularly change your HVAC filters, based on how much your HVAC is being used. A good rule of thumb for the Las Vegas valley is:

• Every month during the summer months.
• Every other month during the winter months.
• Once in the spring.
• Once in the fall.

Adjust the above schedule based on how much the HVAC is running. Visually inspecting HVAC filters at regular intervals is also a good idea.