Commercial HVAC systems move very large volumes of air in order to provide proper ventilation to the whole building and to circulate either cold or hot air too. That means that they have large filters, but also that those filters get full quickly. When full, they begin to restrict air and undermine HVAC efficiency. So, how often should your commercial HVAC filters be changed? Between six and three months is a good estimate for most, but not all commercial settings. Learn more about this below.
Ask the Professionals
Different properties have different needs for air quality and ventilation. Plus, there are different commercial HVAC systems with different needs. HEPA and carbon-filter based equipment will need filters changed very often. Forced-air systems with air conditioners or furnaces will need their filters changed less often. Plus, what happens in your building, its capacity and other factors also come into play. Your system may need something very different from the office or the manufacturing plant next to you.
You can get real and specific answers to your questions from two sources: the manufacturer behind your commercial HVAC system, and your HVAC technicians. Manufacturers should list the interval at which you need to change your filters in order to keep the system running at peak efficiency. HVAC technicians can take that information and apply it to your specific circumstances.
For example, those who have industrial facilities or are near one may need to change filters very frequently in order to provide proper air quality for those inside of the building. That said, there is also commercial buildings which don’t have unusual air quality pollutants, which are in rural areas or places with very clean air which do not need to change their filters very often.
Why Change Commercial HVAC Filters?
It may seem like a waste of time to change your filters out when they are no longer allowing your system to run at peak efficiency. Every three or six months might seem like overkill for your filters, so why stick to this regimen?
- Equipment performance: Commercial equipment is responsible for pumping out a great deal of air. If the filters become too full, the airflow is restricted, which puts pressure on the equipment, has it work harder, and means that the cool or hot air it produces won’t circulate properly, causing it to generate more. This stress is compounded on a larger system and will end up reducing the efficiency of your equipment and increasing the costs of running it.
- Equipment lifespan: Over the long term, this additional stress on the system will cause it to develop more problems, faster. If these problems go unaddressed, the overall lifespan of the equipment will be shortened. That means you’ll have large replacement costs sooner.
- User comfort: Changing out filters properly ensures that your system can provide the best temperatures and air quality to anyone in your building, from customers to staff and guests.
Reach out to commercial HVAC experts to get specific advice about when your filters need to be changed.