How Often Should I Replace My Air Filter? 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 that indoor comfort does not come cheap. The cost to repair or replace an old unit is steep, to be sure, so take the steps now to make sure yours has a long and happy life. Make sure you change the air filter as often as necessary. But how often is necessary when it comes to replacing your air filter? Well, it depends on a few different things: If you have pets that shed, their hair or fur can be pulled into your air conditioner and furnace through your duct work. When your unit is working overtime—like, hey... right now when it's super freezing outside—the air filter may need to be changed as often as once a month. Your (or Your Guests') Allergies If you, your family or your weekend couch surfers suffer from dust or mold allergies, a fresh air filter will make everyone more comfortable.

If you're very sensitive to dust, change your air filter once a month. Otherwise, a four- to six-times-a-year replacement routine should keep air quality up for everyone. Pro tip: There are a billion different sizes and kinds of air filters on the market (You may have discovered this when you accidentally bought the wrong size filter because you didn't store the measurements in your phone like we suggested). Bigger air filters (both in width and thickness) can stand to be changed less often, while super-compact filters should get more frequent attention.And How Often You Clean It If you regularly vacuum dust and loose dirt from your air filter, you can double the life of it. A normal person without a shedding pet or severe allergies should change their air filter roughly four times each year, but thorough cleaning can cut that down to just two times. (Images: Flickr member mbschn licensed for use under Creative Commons, Flickr member flikr licensed for use under Creative Commons)

I’ve never enjoyed being the “guinea pig” in any given situation. I simply don’t like it. Through the past week, I’ve been an unsuspecting test subject in my own unknowing experiment. Last week, my allergies started to act up. air cleaner including ozone removalThis was an immediate red flag for me, as I haven’t experienced allergies since I went raw 20 years ago. how to make a wii lens cleaning kitIt was a week of me going crazy trying to figure out what was happening!best uv air purifier My poor little kitty, Sammy, took most of the blame for a while. I didn’t have him last spring, therefore I assumed it was his fault. I didn’t pick him up and cuddle him as much as I used to, and I used to have my face in his soft fur all the time!

So poor Sammy was largely left alone for a while… I mean, if I could handle the pollen count alone, and Sammy was new, it must be him, right? As it turns out, it WAS Sammy’s fault. One night I noticed that my Aerus air purifier was unplugged. Mine’s a humidifier and purifier in one, and that plug was just halfway out of the socket. It was enough to make it look plugged in, but not enough to allow it to run! Since the darn thing is so quiet, I hadn’t realized it was off! Here’s where it gets funny- Sammy’s favorite spot to jump to the windowsill is right near that, and he must have knocked it out. I bet that’s exactly why my eyes and sinuses have been dry and stuffy for a while now. After I plugged it in, I was nearly completely better the next day. My sinuses cleared up and my face looked less stuffed; even my eye, dried to hell from the dry unfiltered room, healed in a few days! I’m very happy to report that I’m fully committed again to nuzzling Sammy’s fur, an arrangement we’re both very pleased with!

The point of this piece is to let you know how important it is to clean your air, and to make sure you’re breathing the healthiest you can be. I never thought of it as an allergy issue, I have my purifier for things like pollution and smoke. I never put thought into how much pollen and dander it was removing from the air as well! And I am SO SO grateful that the problem wasn’t Sammy, I would have been heartbroken to lose cuddling him. For those of you with issues with allergies and pollution, I’d suggest trying an air purifier. It’s changed my life for the better, and I’m entirely convinced. My own Aerus Power Air even ionizes so that it kills bacteria on contact! It hasn’t stopped me from cleaning, but with a cute kitty cat running about the house it’s good to know that my Aerus is keeping me from sneezing. I love my Aerus as it protects me from pollution, and I love it even more now that it’s given me my cat back. Follow me on twitter @modelcarolalt

About Latest Posts Latest posts by Carol Alt (see all) Hormone Replacement Therapy Acid Reflux The Aliens Inside Us Powered by Starbox aer1® HAPF300AH True HEPA Allergen Remover Replacement Filter This item is currently not available online.The aer1® HAPF300AHCS Allergen Remover Replacement Filter helps transforms impure, polluted air from air passing through the filter leaving a balance of clean inhalation and gentle renewal. This highly effective True HEPA filter helps to purify the air by capturing allergens and pollutants such as pollen, dust, mold *(8), pet dander and smoke. These allergens and pollutants .3 microns and larger passing through the filter are captured to help maximize comfort and freshness. With Holmes® brand technology, you can live in harmony with nature for a serene home environment. For best results change every 12 months. Compatible with select Bionaire® brand air purifiers True HEPA filtration Removes up to 99.97% *(3) of airborne allergens