House Elements
- Jan 20, 2020
- 3 min read

Everything You Need to Know About Air Filters, from the Heating & Air Experts

It’s one of the most basic parts of your home’s entire heating and cooling system, but one that’s incredibly important. Our expert technicians at Hanna Heating & Air in Wichita get questions about air filters all the time, and wanted to break down the basics for all homeowners to have the information they need. Everyone knows that you’re supposed to regularly change the air filter in your home, but do you know how often you are supposed to change it out? Do you know which filter is the best one to buy?

How often should you change your air filter?

There is no simple answer. It really depends on a few factors. Who’s living in your home? Where do you live? What about pets? These all help to determine how often you really should be changing your filter. For some it’s once every few months; for others it may be every few weeks.

Interactive Calculator: Try out Hanna Heating & Air’s online Air Filter Schedule Calculator to see how often you should be changing the filter in your home.

Some factors that affect your air filter schedule:

- Do you have allergies? Replacing your air filter about once a month may go a long way in alleviating your symptoms.

- How many people live in the home? The more people who reside there, the more often you will need to change out your filter.

- Do you have pets? All their hair isn’t just going into the corners of rooms that you regularly sweep or vacuum. That pet hair is also finding its way into your HVAC system, so be sure to change out your filter more often if pet hair is an issue in your home.

- How big is your house? Heating & air systems in smaller homes pump less amount of air than in larger ones. However, a small home may mean you have a small HVAC system. If so, you likely have a small air filter that requires frequent changing, or as much as a larger system.

- How often do you use your heating and air units? Are you running your furnace or AC pretty much all year round? Frequent use of your heating and cooling system means that you will need to change your filter more often than if you only used it at certain times of the year, and for only a few hours of the day.

What is the best air filter to buy?

There are many options. For some people, all those options are overwhelming. Will the cheapest filter do just as good of a job? Will getting the most expensive filter mean you can change it less? No and no.

CHEAP FILTERS: Hanna’s professional HVAC technicians have been fixing systems for decades all across Wichita and surrounding Kansas towns. Simply put, cheap fiberglass filters don’t do a good enough job getting rid of dirt and debris.

HEPA AIR FILTERS: What about the expensive filters with accordion folds are tightly knit

together? They aren’t always your best bet. The tight folds can be too restrictive and filter out more than necessary. These air filters tend to require being replaced more frequently than others.

PLEATED AIR FILTERS: This middle-of-the-road option is most likely your best bet. A medium grade filter with MERV rating of 8 to 11 should keep out dust and other particles sufficiently for most homeowners.

Is it Time to Change your Air Filter? The Sure-Fire Check

There is one quick and easy, sure-fire way to know if it’s time to replace your air filter. Check it. Simply pull out your air filter and look it over. You are likely to see a layer of dust and dirt, but look closely and answer this one question:

Can you see any of the air filter material?

You’ll either see some of the (likely white) material or it will be all covered in dust and particles. If you can’t see the filter material, you absolutely need to change your filter.

Still have questions? Just ask Wichita’s Heating & Air Experts!

Hanna Heating and Air has serviced thousands of furnaces and air conditioners over 3 decades, across the Wichita area. Most of our technicians have more than 10 years of experience fixing furnaces and broken AC units, and have seen all types of HVAC problems, big and small. You can always contact us to come check problems with

your furnace, why your AC isn’t turning on, or other problems keeping your home from being comfortable. We can also answer your basic questions about air filters or other heating and air issues. Call us at (316) 945-3481. We are a large company with three locations in Wichita, Andover, and Newton, and we can often deliver same day service.