If you've ever had your furnace fail in the dead of winter or your air conditioner kick out on you in the sweltering heat of summer you know how uncomfortable an indoor temperature issue can be. One of best preventatives for this kind of inconvenience is changing your air filter. According to Energystar, the filters on your home system likely need to be changed every 30 days. You can pick up new air filters form the office at any time and some maintenance teams will even change it for you! It is one of those chores that is easy to forget, but can have some uncomfortable repercussions, especially if your AC breaks down in the heat of the summer. If your apartment community offers air filter changing services, you can schedule a monthly filter change. If this is considered a responsibility of the residents, you should mark it on a calendar or set up a friendly reminder so it doesn't fall between the cracks.
Why is it important to change your air filter every 30 days?
If you live in a dog friendly apartment, you should definitely be paying close attention to changing you air filter. Your furry friend's hair or fur can be pulled into your air conditioner and furnace through your duct work. If you, your roommates, or your weekend couch surfers suffer from dust or mold allergies, a fresh air filter will make everyone more comfortable. Changing your air filter on a regular schedule should keep air quality up for everyone. If the filter's dirty, everything past the filter is dirty too, including the air you breathe. This pumps your home full of dust and allergens. The air filter keeps pollution and debris out of your AC system, ensuring proper and efficient operation. A dirty filter will slow down the air flow, making both the furnace work harder to heat your home and your AC work harder to cool it. AC units are designed to work with a certain amount of internal air flow, and if that isn't being met the AC may malfunction and ultimately fail. This wastes energy and can result in higher energy bills. Between the cooling inefficiency and the reduced air flow, a dirty air filter means your A/C has to work much, much harder in order to cool your house, which means it takes more power to fuel it. You may not realize how much money could be saved by simply changing the filter. Some will say that the size of you apartment should dictate how often you change your filter. However, this is a common misconception. If you live in a studio apartment, it is just as important to change your air filter as it would be if lived in a 4 bedroom apartment. Changing your air filter can help your air stay clean and save you cash.