How to Remember to Change Your Air Filter

The air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment plays two important roles. First, it helps clean your indoor air to reduce the presence of particulates and other pollutants. Second, the filter helps maintain airflow that your furnace or air conditioner needs to work properly. When the filter gets dirty, it can’t perform these functions. Use the following tips to help you remember when to change the HVAC air filters.

• Follow a schedule: As a general rule, you should check your filters every month and change them when they get dirty. You can more easily remember to take care of this task by using the first or the last day of the month as the scheduled date. You could also use regular monthly events, such as paying rent or mortgage, or the first Saturday of each month, as the day you regularly check your air filters.
• Use an alarm: Most smart phones, tablets, and computers should have a scheduling or reminder app with an alarm. These can be set many days or even weeks in advance. Use one of these apps to remind you when you should check and change air filters.
• Put in a filter change indicator: Install a filter change indicator in your HVAC system. These devices work by sensing decreases in air pressure that indicate less air is flowing through the filter. As air pressure readings fall over time, the needle on the indicator moves closer to the red zone indicating a filter change is necessary.
• Mark filters as a reminder: Store filters where you will see them frequently, such as on a frequently used shelf. Mark individual filters with dates that indicate when they should be installed.