Where Is Ac Filter Located

For the typical homeowner, changing air conditioner filters is 1 of the easiest AC maintenance tasks you tin perform. And, it's an of import facet of routine heating and cooling system maintenance considering a clean filter can assist keep your arrangement running efficiently and reliably for years.

Equally a role of your heating and air conditioning system, the air filter plays ii main roles:

Removal of airborne particles from the air that you breathe to meliorate indoor air quality
Keeping internal components free from dust and droppings to maintain efficiency and reliability of functioning

A dirty filter tin cause a number of problems with your organization. Information technology can restrict air menstruation, which non only affects your comfort, but tin lead to your system'due south air handler working harder than normal. Over time, that can cause unnecessary wear and tear on organisation components. In more extreme cases a clogged filter can lead to the system turning on and off many times in rapid succession (curt cycling) or even shut down completely.

To avoid these bug, exist sure to inspect, clean or replace your AC filter regularly every bit a part of your air conditioner maintenance routine. If you do, y'all can help continue your system running smoothly and efficiently, and hopefully avoid an unnecessary service call from your local HVAC technician. And, once information technology becomes a habit, y'all'll find that changing an air conditioner filter is an easy, low-cost fashion to maintain your comfort and hopefully save a niggling coin down the road.

How Frequently You Should Exist Changing Air Conditioner Filters

How Often to Alter Air Filters will vary based on the type of filter you have. For example, a basic, 1-inch air filter will most likely need to exist replaced more than often than a larger 4-inch filter. You should follow the filter manufacturer's recommendations, just a good rule of thumb is to inspect your Air-conditioning filter at least once every ii-iii months. Boosted factors that tin can affect the timeline of how frequently yous change your filter regularly include:

Thermostat settings: If yous tend to savor cooler settings in summer, your system will run more often, which may decrease fourth dimension betwixt filter changes. If you lot set the thermostat back to relieve energy, y'all'll run the system less and potentially increment time between filter changes.
Poor system installation: An undersized organization volition run longer and filters volition likely collect more pollutants. Poorly installed ductwork may invite more airborne pollutants into the arrangement as well. Both of these examples can potentially reduce the time between filter changes.
Pets: If you are a pet possessor, the number, size and type of animals in your dwelling house might affect timing between filter changes. Larger animals or longer-haired animals that shed more will shorten the time between filter changes.
Quality/age of dwelling: Older homes or poorly sealed homes tend to draw more dirt, dust and other airborne pollutants from outside. Especially in areas with air pollution issues, you will likely demand to inspect and supervene upon your filter more often.

As filter inspections become a part of your routine, you might want to buy replacement filters in accelerate and have a clean filter available in case an inspection indicates it's fourth dimension for a change.

How to Replace Air Conditioner Filters

Locate and Open Air Filter Cabinet

When it'south time to audit your filter, always be certain to turn off power to the arrangement. Yous tin can practise this either at the thermostat, the breaker box, or using the shutoff switch located on/most the indoor unit (often looks like a lite switch).

The exact location of the filter can vary depending on the indoor HVAC unit and type of system. Most unmarried-home residential systems include either a vertical or horizontal indoor air handler unit (furnace or fan coil), typically in a basement, furnace/utility closet, garage or sometimes an attic. Expect for a filter chiffonier along the sides, height or bottom of the blower cabinet. The filter may be positioned horizontally or vertically, depending on the orientation of the air handler in the indoor unit. In some cases, specially on older models, the filter may be found inside the blower cabinet. If yous live in a multifamily flat or condo unit, the filter may be located in an in-wall return air grill.

In one case you lot take ensured that ability is shut off and located the filter, take a moment to determine the direction air flows through the organisation. Some filters will include air flow arrows to ensure proper installation. If arrows are nowadays, take note of the management they are pointing so you can properly re-install the old ane or install the new ane. Now, remove the filter from its housing and inspect information technology for excessive build-up of dust, dirt and debris.

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Figure ane: Location of the air conditioner filter on a Carrier air conditioner

Decision Time: Make clean or Supplant

Sometimes when y'all pull out the filter, it's painfully obvious whether it's time to clean or replace: if caked on dirt and dust are falling off the surface, it's probably restricting air menstruation and you'll want to have action. If it's only lightly covered, or you can still see light through the filter material, you lot may want to clean the filter and and then check again in some other calendar month. If it's somewhere in betwixt, you tin can default to the filter manufacturer'south recommendations or utilize your own judgment based on your own experience.

If you are replacing or changing air conditioner filters, be sure to either measure the old filter or take note of its dimensions if printed on the casing before y'all throw the old ane away. You volition need these dimensions to purchase a replacement if you lot don't have a replacement filter at home already.

If you are cleaning the filter, exist sure to follow the manufacturer'southward recommendations. Many filters, whether disposable or re-usable can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner nozzle attachment, being careful not to tear the filter material.

Insert the Clean Filter and Turn the Air conditioning Unit On

Carefully slide the new or cleaned filter dorsum into its housing with the airflow arrows pointing in the correct direction. Properly secure the cabinet or panel embrace, then restore ability to the organisation and plough it on.