Effective Reminders to Change Your Air Filter

Lowering your electric bills and increasing your home comfort might be as easy as checking and changing the air filter for your HVAC system. A clean filter promotes good airflow through the air handler that promotes energy efficiency and keeps the components inside it clean.

With the right amount of air blowing through it, your home will cool faster, have less indoor humidity and better air quality. HVAC experts recommend that you check the filter monthly and change it when it’s dirty to prevent premature breakdowns. A dirty filter also pulls dust and dirt into the air handler, where it will cover the components and enter the ductwork.

It’s easy to forget to check the filter since it’s out of sight, but these prompts might help you remember this important task:

• Tie it to your electric bill. During the summer, you can probably attribute half of your electric bill to cooling your home. After you examine the electrical consumption for the preceding month, check the filter. Remind yourself that keeping it clean will lower the amount of power your HVAC needs.
• Stack the filters in an obvious place. Find a place that you walk by or see daily to store a few replacement filters. Some people put them by the garage door, place them in a pantry, or a frequently used closet.
• Program your phone or computer with a reminder. Send yourself a message each month to check the filter.
• Change the thermostat. Many programmable thermostats use internal timers to track the time your HVAC runs. They tie timer to a warning light that goes on when the HVAC system has run long enough for the filter to get dirty.

  Some models of upgraded Wi-Fi thermostats also monitor your system’s overall performance and will also alert you when it’s time for professional maintenance or a malfunction in the system.

A clean air filter promotes energy efficiency, better air quality and increases the durability of the air conditioning system. For more information about selecting and changing the filter, contact Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions, providing HVAC services for Orlando-area homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).