You may not see it when you’re walking around (heck, you may not even THINK about it very often!), but your residential air filter is one of the most important things sitting inside your home. Without it, your home wouldn’t be nearly as safe as you’d like it to be.

So, what exactly do these things do?

An air filter – whether it’s in your air conditioner or a furnace filter – is in charge of filtering out the dust and other fine particles that are floating around in the air in your home. You might not be able to see any of these particles, but they’re definitely there. Just ask anyone who has asthma or allergies!

As your air conditioner or furnace chugs along, the hot or cold air sends these particles flying through the air. A good air conditioner or furnace filter will act like a magnet and scoop them up as their travelling along. That way, the particles get stuck inside the filter, instead of inside your lungs, nose, or throat. If these particles were left to float around your home, you’d wind up coughing, sneezing, and sputtering all the time. And, if you had allergies or asthma, they’d make your condition a whole lot worse!

As you can imagine, it doesn’t take long for a residential air filter to fill up with dirt and debris, so you’ll have to replace yours every few months. You may have to replace it even sooner than that if you’re really sensitive to stuff flying around in the air. Or, if you’ve got a particularly particle-filled house – like if you’ve got pets running around or kids running around and kicking up dirt – you’ll probably have to replace your filter on a more regular basis.
If you don’t, you’ll probably notice yourself coughing and sneezing more. You’ll probably also notice your air conditioner or furnace running more than normal. That’s because a full filter can prevent air from flowing through your machine like it’s supposed to – meaning it has to run a lot harder to keep a steady temperature. That’s energy you simply don’t need to burn!

When it comes time to replace your filter, look for top-notch brand names – like Filtrete. These bigger names are known for having better-made filters that are more durable than their no-name counterparts. Luckily, a Filtrete filter is both reliable and affordable. That way, you can save some money and save your lungs, all at the same time!

You can find your all-important air filter at www.yourfilterconnection.com.