I moved into a new place late last year and haven’t thought much about the filters in the HVAC system. But recently, my house has been feeling dusty and I’ve been sneezing and coughing a lot more (granted, it’s also basically allergy season now). A casual Google search is telling me that I should be changing my filter once every 90 days (oops). Anyhoo, my question is: who here has changed their own filters before and what was your experience? Was it easy? Safe? Something you recommend? Or should I hire someone to take care of it for me…
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Yeah dude, super simple. At least mine have been. It’s literally a slot right beside your furnace. Mine’s not obstructed by anything, you can just pull it out and see what size it is (or check the HAVEN app for that matter) and get new filters from the hardware store. It sounds like that’s covered if you have a service contract with your HVAC company too though. Idk if you’d need a thicker filter if you’re more allergic.
I was chatting with a couple hvac pros in another thread that might be able to weigh in on this for you. @CustomVac @bchouinard
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Thank you for the reassurance - I’ve been putting off doing mine and watching some YouTube tutorials. I’m still trying to decide which MERV rating one to get…
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Hey Ralph! Here’s a video we’ve put together which should help you understand a bit more about changing out your filter. There are definitely some things to consider that you may need a pro for. For example, if you wanted to swap out a 1" filter for something a bit more substantial that can last you for a year or longer. You’d want to talk to your HVAC company about installing a deeper filter cabinet or media air cleaner.
Hope this helps!
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One word of caution, make sure the system is not running when changing the filter.
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I saw this post and went to check on my filter. And it’s taped in place. Not sure for what purpose and if it’s safe to remove the tape. Would appreciate any advice!
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@Susie.Dunn props! Few people include that warning!
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@Summer someone likely taped it to ensure more air is going through (not around) the filter. remove the tape, replace the filter, and then re-tape if you’d prefer to
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@Ralph_S replacing the filter is almost always a simple process, however, in some rare cases, the filter may be located within the furnace/air handler cabinet itself. In any case, like @Susie.Dunn stated, make sure you turn the furnace off before removing the filter. this ensures that not only is there no power to the unit, but by stopping the fan, you will not suck in any clumps of dust from the duct into the fan when the filter comes out.
The filter rack is typically located close to the fan section of the furnace. If it is a 1" thick filter, it likely has no cover, but if you use thicker ‘media’ style filters, you may have a filter door to remove as well.
Once the filter is located and power has been turned off, simply pull out the old filter, and install the new one. Be sure the arrows indicating direction of airflow on the filter matches the direction of airflow through the duct. (hintair always flows towards the furnace/air handler in the return-air duct). I usually take a second here and wipe down the filter slot/cabinet before closing it up again.
Once the filter has been replaced, close the filter cabinet (if door was removed) and restore power to the furnace.
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Thank you, I will do that 
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Hi, OP! It’s pretty simple to change your filters. I also do it on my own regularly. However, I still make sure to have this company thoroughly clean my unit at least once a year. It’s still best to have a professional do it from time to time since I’m not an expert and there are usually some spots that I miss.
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