When To Change Your Furnace Filter In Minnesota, Iowa, & South Dakota

It's wintertime in Minnesota, Iowa, and, South Dakota. That means our furnaces will be running long and hard. A dirty filter could destroy your furnace.

When was the last time you changed your furnace filter? Do you know how often you should be changing it?

I don't know about you but I often find myself neglecting my furnace and air conditioner until someone reminds me to tend to the maintenance or there until there is a problem. This is not a good plan.

I've taken to putting reminders on my Google Calendar to give me a heads-up that it's time to check on my furnace filter.

So when exactly does your furnace filter need changing? A good rule of thumb is to change:

• 1-2 inch filters every three months
• 4-inch filters every six months
• 5-inch filters every 12 months.

Those are good guidelines but there are other factors that come into play when you live in the midwest.

Like do you have pets in your home? Do you live on a rural gravel road? Do you have allergies? Do you have smokers in the house?

Reddihvac.com says these are sure signs your furnace air filter needs to be changed:

• The filter is visibly dirty. Certainly, if you can’t see the material of the filter itself, it should be replaced.
• The heating/cooling system is running more frequently than normal.
• Your home is more dusty than normal.
• You notice strange smells or a burning smell near your HVAC unit.

Oh...and an FYI, if you keep your furnace/air conditioning filter clean it's less expensive to operate. Nothing wrong with saving a few bucks!