The air filters in your home are what allows it to keep dust, dirt, and other pollutants from floating from room to room. However, like anything else in your house, you must routinely replace these filters to ensure that they work properly.
Follow Manufacturer Instructions
Perhaps the best reason to replace air filters regularly is because doing so is in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Typically, they must be replaced every 30 to 90 days, and in some cases, they can go as long as 180 days without needing to be changed. Failure to change a filter in a timely manner could leave you liable for any damage caused to your home because of your negligence.
Filters Become Clogged Over Time
If you leave a filter in place for too long, it will simply become clogged with debris. Ultimately, anything that tries to go through the filter will simply be repelled and allowed to float around the house. In some cases, debris may ultimately land on a furnace, electronic device or other surface, which can lead to serious damage.
Minimize Wear and Tear
Debris that falls on a furnace fan or motor blade will cause it to become heavier than it should be. Ultimately, this will force it to work harder, which could cause the fan or motor to break, and it could also cause the furnace itself to stop working. Debris that lands on countertops, sticks to walls, or gets into carpets may also cause those items to wear faster than they should.
Keep Nasty Odors Out of the Air
An air filter that isn’t capable of taking in smoke or mold particles may allow those particles to float in the air or attach to various surfaces. Ultimately, your home might smell like smoke, mold, or whatever else wasn’t removed by the filters.
Don’t Create a Fire Hazard
Certain types of particles that air filters are designed to collect may be flammable. Therefore, if they are allowed to collect in significant volumes, they may increase the risk of a fire in your home. Fortunately, filters are relatively easy to either clean or change depending on what the instructions tell you to do.
Make It Easier to Clean the Rest of Your House
A home that is relatively free of airborne particles will be easier to clean than one that is constantly littered with dust, dirt, or pollen. Instead of having to sweep the floors multiple times a day, you might be able to do so just once a day or less often depending on how much traffic a space receives. You may also find that you have to dust, vacuum, and otherwise clean less frequently because there isn’t as much stuff sticking to walls, floors, and carpets.
Changing air filters regularly is an easy way to keep your home from becoming dirty or dangerous to live in. Typically, it only takes a few dollars to acquire a quality air filter and a few minutes to change it in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
Published by: Holy Minoza
