Maintaining Your Air Filters

CONCORD — In California, indoor air quality has taken on a new level of importance due to the annual recurrence of wildfires. With all the smoke and ash in the atmosphere, you need to make sure your air filtration system is equipped to effectively remove these materials from the air inside your home. While there are many ways to do this, the simplest one is maintaining your HVAC system’s air filters.

There are many different types of air filters, including replaceable filters, washable filters, micro filters and electronic filters. Whichever type you have, you should know where they’re located (you may have more than one) and how often to change or maintain them. Most replaceable air filters should be changed every 60 days at minimum. If you have washable filters, you should wash them at a similar interval (make sure they’re completely dry before reinstalling them). For electronic filter maintenance, consult the filters’ instruction manual or research instructions online. If you have additional questions about maintaining or upgrading your air filters, consult a local HVAC professional.