In this informational video, Derek Cole explains why homeowners should regularly maintain and replace their HVAC air filters. He outlines four primary benefits: improved indoor air quality by trapping dust, pollutants, and pet dander; enhanced energy efficiency because clean filters prevent dust from insulating the heat‑exchange coils; a longer system lifespan since the HVAC unit doesn’t have to work harder; and greater comfort as conditioned, filtered air circulates throughout the home. Cole advises checking the filter each month and replacing it at least every three months, recommending a simple reminder or alarm to stay on schedule. The overall message is that a clean filter is a low‑cost, high‑impact way to keep the HVAC system running efficiently and the home environment healthier.
Chapters
So what, I mean, what are the benefits of a clean filter, HVAC air filter at home? What are the benefits? Why should I do this? Um, it's one of the most, according to Energy Star, one of the most important things you can do yourself for your system is actually change your filter. Uh, keep a filter in there that is designed, to get these dust and particles out of the air and trap them. So what are the benefits to doing that? Number 1, better air quality. Um, there's so much in the environment— dust, dirt, debris, pollutants, volatile organic compounds— all the air in your home at one point will go through the HVAC system. You want to go through your filter. You want that cool condition or warm condition air, depending on season. You want that conditioned air that you already paid for to get back to your unit, but you want to come through the filter. Better indoor air quality. Good air in, is going to be better air out. You want to go through your air filter. Dust, dirt, uh, if you have pets, pet dander, all this can build up over time in the filter. If you have a good filter, it's going to trap it and not let it get to the unit, therefore not letting it get into your home and circulate there is going to be a problem. So you want it for better indoor air quality. Improved energy efficiency. Improved energy efficiency. Heating air is all about heat transfer, right? So if you have a heat pump in the cold weather, we're bringing heat from outside, we're bringing into the home. Uh, in the hot weather, we're taking heat from the inside and throwing it back outside. It's all about heat transfer. That's why they use copper coils, aluminum. These are very good conductors of heat. Well, when you have dust and particles get on the coils, they actually transfer this heat. It makes it work harder because it acts as an insulator. It makes this system work harder. So the way to prevent it from working harder is to keep it clean. Keep that coil clean, the indoor coil, the outdoor coil. Keep them clean. The only way to do that is when that air comes through the house, it comes through the filter, but it needs to be a clean filter. It needs to be a filter that can handle it. A filter that can take on and load up on these particles and dust and pet dander. Better and improved energy efficiency because you're stopping that from getting to the system. Increased lifespan of your system. If it's not working harder, it's going to last longer. If it's getting clogged with dirt, debris, and having to work harder. Is that gonna make for a longer life or a shorter life? It's gonna make for a shorter life. So increased lifespan, increased comfort, because the cool conditioned air is coming to the unit and then being brought back out, so you're not breathing air from the crawl space or from outside or from the attic. You're not breathing that unconditioned air because the air is coming through the filter and then coming back out. All these are benefits to having a clean HVAC air filter. It's recommended at least every 3 months to replace the filter. I recommend every month checking, and if it needs changing, changing the air filter. It's recommended even if you don't change it, at least change it every 3 months, not every month. But I would always check and change the air filter every month. It's, it's simple. I mean, pick up your phone and put a little reminder or alarm in there once a month change air filter, check air filter, whatever you want to do it once a month. Put the alarm in there, set it, be done with it. Um, so much can be done just by making sure you have a clean HVAC air filter.
