How Often Should You Change Lennox Air Filters?

If you’ve just installed a Lennox air conditioner or moved to a home that has one, you may wonder how often you need to change your filters. There are a few factors to consider when determining the answer.

It will depend on the size and type of your HVAC system. For those that use the standard one-inch disposable filters, it is recommended to change them every three months. Thicker filters can go three to six months before replacement. For your best AC efficiency, it’s ideal to check your filters once per month to see how they look.

Most homeowners often forget about this key factor of AC maintenance. If you don’t change your air filters when they’re dirty, you’ll have higher energy bills and worse indoor air quality. Neglecting to do this task may also result in an HVAC breakdown, which will require pricey repairs.

Take a look at some of the common factors that will additionally impact how often you should change them.

You Have Pets

If you have cats or dogs in your home, the fur they shed can affect your indoor air quality. It’s even worse when the seasons change as pet odors and dander can really clog up your filter. Always be vigilant in changing the filter as a pet owner.

You Have a Family

In addition to having a furry family member in your home, if you have young children, you’ll want to change your air filter regularly. Clean air is vital for their growth and development, and it will also minimize illnesses when you use the right filter.

Someone In Your Home Has a Health Condition

Respiratory conditions can easily be agitated by poor indoor air quality. If you or someone in your family has asthma, allergies, or another type of condition, you will want to keep up with quality indoor air. For severe cases, it’s best to replace your air filter every six weeks.

Your Home Is Brand New

There is truly nothing like having a new home built just for you and your family. All your appliances are new, including your air conditioner, so you’ll have minimal worries. One thing you don’t want to forget about is that building materials release more particles into the air when they’re new. By changing the filter a little more often, you’ll prevent these particles from lowering your indoor air quality.

What to Know About Expected Filter Longevity

There are other things you need to think about when determining how long your Lennox air filters last. One of them is the Lennox furnace filters size that your system requires to operate, along with these other considerations.

Your Home’s Size

The larger your home, the greater the need for more frequent filter changes. Larger spaces require your HVAC system to pump more air than smaller spaces. Still, even if you have a smaller home, you should check your air filter monthly to see if it needs to be changed.

How Often Your Home Is Occupied

Is everyone always home in your family, or is it just you? The more people you have in your home, the more frequently you can expect to change the filter.

The Climate in Your Location

Climate is another major factor that impacts how long air filters last. In a climate that stays hot most of the year, you will need to change your filter more often than someone who lives in a cooler location. Always stay on top of seasonal weather changes, too. If the weather gets cooler and you’re not running the AC, you likely won’t need to change the filter as often.

Your Indoor Air Quality

If you don’t care about your indoor air quality, you could go longer between filter replacements. However, that’s not the best idea. Even if you live alone, your filter will eventually become dirty enough to interfere with the airflow and lead to a system failure.

How to Tell When the Air Filter Must Be Replaced

Whether you’re heating or cooling your home, your air filter is an integral part of the process. All air that flows through your HVAC system must flow through this filter. To enjoy maximum efficiency and longevity from this vital system in your home, you need to keep your filter clean.

As a rule of thumb, take a look at it once a month. Here’s how to know when you shouldn’t let another day go by without changing your air filter.

Your Home Is Dusty

If you’re cleaning all the time and your home is still dusty, go check your air filter. Chances are, it is covered in dust, too. Dust shouldn’t be building up on your output vents, curtain rods, tables, cabinets, or the blades on your ceiling fans. When you see this, excessive dust is circulating throughout your home.

Your Home Isn’t Cooling Well

While this could also be a sign of an aging air conditioner, many times it’s the result of not changing your air filter. Before you call an HVAC company, take a look at the filter and change it out. Dirty filters can restrict airflow and make it harder for your home to cool to the right temperature.

Noisy AC System

Air conditioners aren’t silent, but they do tend to make more ambient white noise in the background. If you start noticing excess noise coming from your unit, this means it’s straining to operate. Neglecting to change your filter causes more particles to accumulate on the interior of this appliance, which impacts its function.

The Bottom Line: Change Your Air Filter When It’s Dirty

For all these reasons outlined above, you should remember to change your air filter when it’s dirty. The key to avoiding strain on your HVAC system is to check the air filter once per month.

Put it on your calendar. If you check and your air filter still looks relatively clear, you can keep using it. This will ensure clean air and a functional AC in your home.