When it comes to cooling your home, nothing is better than an air conditioning unit. Occasionally you will have to replace the filter in your system to guarantee that it isn’t congested with dust, dirt and other pollutants from the air. Grab your measuring tape first because you’ll need to measure the size of your filter with these simple steps.
Window Air Units
Locate the Filter
Usually the filter is simply positioned under the front panel of the air conditioner. Open this panel, pull out the filter, and check for dirt and dust.
Make Your Measurements
Sometimes the filter will have the dimensions printed by the manufacturer on the side of it, but sometimes this isn’t the case. If not, use your measuring tape to find the height and width of your filter. Simply purchase one of the same dimensions and install it in the exact opposite steps from how you removed the old one.
Central Air Units
Locate the Filter
On central air systems, the filter is generally located somewhere near the furnace in your home. Find the compartment housing the filter, remove any panel, and gently slide out the filter. Occasionally the company that manufactured your old filter will make your job incredibly easy by printing the dimensions on the cardboard siding of the filter. If this isn’t the case, proceed to the next step.
Measuring Your Filter
Simply lay the filter down, and use your measuring tape to take note of the length, width, and depth of the filter. Generally these numbers are labeled on new filters as height x width x depth (example: 24 x 14 x 1). Always round the number up to a whole number when searching for your new filter, they rarely come in fractional units.
That’s all there is to it. Simply put the newly purchased filter into your system in the reverse steps from what you took while removing it. The average lifespan of a filter is different for everyone based on use, pets, and allergen susceptibility, but a good rule of thumb is to remove it every few months to gauge how dirty it has become.