How to Change The Filter On Your Central Heating / Air Conditioning

You should change the filter on your central heating/air conditioning unit every 2-3 months depending on how dirty your air is. If you do not change the filter regularly you reduce the amount of airflow thru your ducts thereby wasting money trying to heat or cool your home when your fans are not moving air properly. If you do not change it frequently enough you may end up wasting money on repair calls only to find the filter was the source of your problem like I did! Anyone can change the filter on their Central Heating or Air Conditioning Unit it is easy and only takes 2 or 3 minutes to complete.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• New filter of the correct size. Standard is 20x25x1 but yours may be different, look at old one prior to buying the new one.

1. Step 1

Locate your central heating or furnace unit.

Mine was in a closet next to the entry door from the garage.

1. Step 2

The long thin horizontal door at the bottom of most units, is the access door for the filter. Note the left corner of the filter is where you can typically find the size of filter needed for your particular unit

Locate the access door for the filter, there should also be a sticker telling you what size filter you need. Standard is 20x25x1.

1. Step 3

how to remove old filter

Open the access door and pull out the old filter. Mine is a very tight fit and I have to get just my finger tips in the sides to wriggle the thing out for the first inch or so then it comes out pretty easily. The last part of the back cardboard frame always hangs up in mine so you may have to be careful while removing it so that it doesnt tear and drop down into the bottom vent.

1. Step 4

Just for kicks put the old filter next to the new one to see just how dirty it got over the last 2-3 months and be thankful that you didn't have to breathe in all that dust!

1. Step 5

Open access door and push in the new replacement filter

Tips & Warnings

• Mark when you are due to replace the new one on your calendar and on a sticker or magnet on the front of the furnace where you can see it and rember to replace it on time.