How Much Does It Cost To Change Hvac Filters

Signing up for a domicile air-filter subscription plan for your HVAC system can assist you stay on top of the easy task of changing the air filters in your home. But the question remains, is it worth information technology? We counterbalance in on the pros and cons.

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How Do I Measure out My Air Filter?

Before you tin can enroll in a home air filter replacement program, you'll demand to know the size of the filters you need.

The first footstep in measuring your air filter is to remove it. You will find your filter either behind a pocket-sized metallic door in your air handler or in an intake vent somewhere in your firm. Intake vents are e'er larger than regular heating and cooling vents.

In one case the filter is removed, yous will normally be able to see the size printed right on the filter itself. Nevertheless, if you lot don't, filter dimensions are listed in lodge of length (the longest dimension unless your filter is square), width (the adjacent longest dimension), and depth (the elevation to bottom thickness of the filter). Your measurements will likely current of air upward including fractions, which yous should round up to notice the "nominal" size. So xv ½ would become 16 and ¾ would become i.

Air Filter Performance: See MERV

Air filters are generally rated according to their minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV. The higher the MERV number, the smaller the particles they tin capture. Generally, it is recommended that filters for dwelling use range from a MERV of 7 to xiii. While you tin get filters with even college MERV ratings, they are not always recommended because their ability to catch finer particles likewise means they restrict airflow and tin have the same effect on your HVAC equipment as a dirty filter.

Filters with MERV ratings between 5-8 tin capture pollen, dust mites, carpet fibers, mold spores and grit. Those rated between 9-12 can also capture fume and those rated at thirteen tin block bacteria as well. Generally, yous should expect for a filter that blocks the most particles without going over the recommended MERV rating for your system.

How Oftentimes Should I Replace My Air Filters?

This largely depends on your dwelling house's size, whether or not yous have shedding pets, and the amount of dust in your dwelling. A general rule of thumb is to alter your filters every 60 days if you take a pet and every 90 days if you don't. If anyone in your business firm suffers from allergies, it'southward best to change your filters every twenty-30 days to ensure the cleanest air in your dwelling.

The all-time way to become a handle on when your filters demand changing is to simply await at them. If you tin can no longer run across the filter material itself because information technology'due south covered with dirt, and then it is time to swap them out.

Are Filter Subscription Delivery Services Worth Information technology?

The short answer is: maybe.

Mostly, filter subscription services sell you filters at a college price than you could get them online – especially if yous buy multi-unit packs. For example, you could score a six-pack of xx 10 25 10 1 filters on Amazon with a MERV rating of 12 for around $32.30, or $five.twoscore per filter. In our analysis below, you'll see that the cheapest comparable filter nosotros could find was offered by Filter King and costs $9.35. Near other filter subscription services would accuse y'all $xv or more for something comparable.

That existence said, there is one benefit of filter subscription services that might brand them worth information technology for you. Because all of these services permit you to set up a delivery schedule, the inflow of filters in the mail can act as a trigger to remind you lot to swap them out with the old ones. If this kind of dwelling house maintenance isn't front-of-mind for you, a delivery service can exist worth the extra cost if information technology gets you to alter your filters on a regular basis, saving you cash on potential repairs and keeping your free energy beak low.

If that sounds like yous, here are our picks for the elevation three filter subscription services.

BEST VALUE

Filter Rex

In terms of price, Filter King tin can't be beat – and the more than yous buy, the more you salve. Afterwards you've chosen your filter size, you lot can increase the quantity up or down to see how much you lot volition save. For case, our MERV 11 test filter of 20 x 25 x 1 costs $23.69 for one, but drops to $9.35 each for four, $8.ten each for half-dozen and $7.83 each for 12. Free shipping increases Filter Rex'due south value proffer.

Now, if you're going to buy 12 air filters, chances are skilful that yous won't need them delivered very often, simply if y'all exercise, Filter King offers a simple toggle at checkout where you can set up it up, and likewise salvage an additional 5%.

Some other nice feature of Filter King is that yous tin use their gratis "Filter Reminder" tool to set upwards email and text alerts at time intervals of your choosing to remind y'all to guild new filters.

All-time SERVICE

Second Nature

With a rating of iv.five stars on Google, Second Nature is one of the almost well-regarded filter delivery services on the internet. In addition to keeping their customers happy, they also offer the all-time introductory offer we saw anywhere in our research. Y'all can get all the filters yous need for home'due south entire HVAC organisation completely gratuitous with your first order. Have six filters in your system? Then you can become six gratuitous filters to start. There's no commitment required and shipping is always free. On tiptop of that Second Nature makes it really easy to pause your subscription should you lot find that filters are piling up. You can do so for upward to two years.

That being said, you will pay for their summit-notch service and easy, attractive website. Our test filter comes in at $xvi through Second Nature, which was by no means the highest, only it is however on the pricey side.

All-time Construction

Filter Snap

Most filters you'll get through a subscription service will consist of pleated filter material surrounded by a cardboard frame. While that is sufficient for most homeowners, if your filters fit very tightly, you tin can run into trouble with the frame bending or fierce equally y'all install or remove them. Enter FilterSnap.

This company creates filters that have a heavier cardboard frame as well equally a metal grid that supports the pleated filter it surrounds. This makes them substantial filters that really practice hold up through tight installations and removals. On top of that, the filters aren't more than expensive than most other services (except for Filter King), with our test filter coming in at $fifteen.95.

Tip: FilterSnap uses the terms Bones, Standard and Ultimate to draw their filter options. These stand for to MERV ratings of eight, xi and 13.

Bonus Hack: Fix Your Ain Filter Commitment Service With Amazon

As you lot might have noticed, Amazon offers subscription options on many of their products, and air filters are no exception. You might exist able to find the filters you demand at the all-time price possible using the site. Only check out this folio that shows all filters eligible for subscriptions, cull the ones y'all want, click the "subscribe and salve" toggle and select the delivery interval. You'll salvage 5% on top of the listed cost, which volition likely already be the best price you tin can find.

Keeping your air filters on a regular replacement schedule is one of the best means to proceed your heating and cooling systems functioning their best. However, bug may still arise. That'south why being prepared with a plan from HomeServe tin help you deal with the costs associated with covered HVAC repairs.

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