HVAC filter replacement schedule — by home, not by calendar
Quarterly is a lazy default. Your real cadence depends on pets, MERV rating, and how hard the system runs.
By Houex Editorial · May 23, 2026
The real cadence
| Situation | Replace every |
|---|---|
| 1-inch filter, no pets | 60–90 days |
| 1-inch filter, one pet | 45–60 days |
| 1-inch filter, multiple pets | 30 days |
| 4–5 inch media filter | 6–12 months |
| Recently renovated / drywall dust | 30 days for first 6 mo |
Set the reminder in the Maintenance Scheduler — it adapts the cadence based on your inputs.
FAQ
- What MERV rating should I use?
- MERV 8–11 for most homes. Higher restricts airflow on residential blowers and can cost more in efficiency than it saves in dust.
- How do I tell if it's time?
- Hold the filter to a light. If you can't see light through the pleats, you're already past due.
Tools that act on this guide
home-intelligence
Maintenance Scheduler
Build a 12-month home maintenance schedule in 30 seconds. Export to your calendar as .ics, save the URL to update it later.
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