How Often to ChangeYour Air Filter

Your air filter plays a vital role in your heating and air conditioning system. While many homeowners think the filter is primarily for indoor air quality, its main job is protecting the HVAC equipment. The filter catches dust, dirt and debris before they reach the blower motor and the indoor coil. In the Las Vegas valley, monsoon winds in July and August bring blowing dust, which makes the filter matter even more here. A clean filter allows air to flow freely through your ductwork, while a clogged filter forces your system to work harder. Knowing how often to change your air filter helps you maintain your equipment all year long.

The Recommended Schedule for Air Filters

A simple schedule keeps your equipment running smoothly. ENERGY STAR recommends checking your air filter every month and changing it at least every three months. Checking it monthly is especially important in Southern Nevada. You simply pull the filter out and hold it up to a light source. If you cannot see light shining through the material, the filter is full and needs replacement. Do not wait for the three months to pass if the filter is already coated in a thick layer of gray dust. Writing the date on the edge of the new filter frame helps you track how long it has been in use.

How Desert Weather Impacts Your Filter

The local climate dictates how hard your heating and air conditioning system works. Las Vegas experiences extreme heat, and July has an average high of 104.5°F. The National Weather Service notes that about 78 days a year reach 100°F. During these long, hot stretches, your air conditioner runs for hours at a time. The more air the blower pulls through the return ducts, the more dust the filter catches. The summer monsoon in July and August also brings strong winds and blowing dust. This environmental dirt enters your home and eventually reaches your return vents, loading your filter much faster than in a mild climate.

What Happens When a Filter Gets Clogged

Running your system with a dirty filter causes a chain reaction of airflow problems. The blower motor has to pull harder to draw air through the blocked material. This restriction leads to several issues:

• Reduced conditioned air reaching your living spaces.
• Indoor coil freezing during the summer cooling season.
• Furnace overheating and triggering safety limits in winter.

A clean filter lowers the chance of these problems. When you change your filter on schedule, you protect your equipment from unnecessary strain. Bypassing regular replacements often results in poor performance when you need the system most.

Finding and Replacing Your Filter

You must know where your filter is located to change it regularly. In many Las Vegas homes, the indoor air handler or gas furnace is installed in the attic, a garage or a hall closet. Sometimes the filter slides directly into a slot on this indoor equipment. In other homes, the filter sits behind a return air grille located on a wall or ceiling in a hallway. Some homes have multiple return grilles with a filter in each one. Make sure you buy the size printed on your current filter frame. Trying to force the wrong size into the slot will allow dusty air to bypass the filter material completely.

Exploring Indoor Air Quality Options

If you find that standard one-inch filters are not meeting your needs, you might consider an upgrade. Kestrel Heating & Air offers indoor air quality services, including air filtration upgrades, air purifiers and ventilation options. Indoor air quality work starts with a consultation, where a technician can talk with you about a filtration upgrade such as a thicker media filter. We also provide routine maintenance through the Kestrel Comfort Club, where the technician checks your filter during the spring cooling tune-up and the fall heating tune-up. A technician will replace the filter during these visits if you have a clean one on hand.