When is the last time you changed the air filter in your heater/air conditioner? Can’t remember? Yes, I understand. We’ve been the same way. I can hear some of you right now. “You mean we’re supposed to CHANGE those?!”
Yes, you see, nasty stuff gets pulled in through your duct work and the handy-dandy filter catches it before it gets to your heating/air system. If the filter gets too full of the nasty stuff, the system gets bogged down and is way less efficient. (I don’t know about you, but when I get bogged down, I am also way less efficient.) ;)
Maybe some of you have some sort of plan in place to remember when it’s time to change the filter in your heating and air unit, but I’m guessing that the majority of us don’t. For us, it is hardly even on our radar of things to think about. There are SO MANY THINGS to think about every day, you know?
And then when we finally do think about it, we have to figure out what size filter we need and figure out who carries the filter we use, and it’s just sort of a headache.
We’ve recently been in contact with Prime Time Filters.com. They are a fantastic company for many reasons, but the best one is that they take all of the brain cell usage out of changing your air filter! I don’t know about you, but I feel very maxed-out on my brain cell usage. Please, please don’t make me keep track of one more thing!!! Prime Time Filters becomes your brain when it comes to changing your air filter! Hallelujah!!
Here’s how it works: You create a subscription with Prime Time Filters. You let them know what variety of filter you need and how often you need to change your filter. You let them know the size you need. THEN, Prime Time Filters (your new air filter brain!) will automatically send you the filter at the designated time. It comes right to your door step without you having to order it or think or anything. Then, when the nice delivery man hands it to you, you realize that it is now time to change your air filter. You change it, and then you promptly forget all about air filters because, thanks to Prime Time Filters, you are now able to free your brain cells to remember other important facts (like the names of your children). You will not have to think about changing your air filter again until another one arrives on your door step a few months later according to the time frame you set up in your subscription with Prime Time Filters. What a lovely (and clean) concept!
Not only does Prime Time Filters make changing your air filter incredibly convenient, they are affordable. Ooh, and you know what else they do? They allow you to set up a subscription for someone else…like your parents or grandparents or an elderly neighbor who needs the service but might not be able to set it up themselves.
I love that Prime Time Filters is a family owned and operated company. I’ve worked with them both via email and over the phone and they are kind, helpful and knowledgeable. We had a stink of a time figuring out what filter size we needed. They worked patiently with us and were finally able to figure out the exact size. These people know what they’re doing.
Here’s what the owner of the Prime Time Filters has to say:
The biggest reason people are signing up for the service is the convenience but they are quickly recognizing the benefits of cleaner air, less dust, lower utility bills and peace of mind because we’ve taken the headache out of this important task.
I highly recommend that you check out Prime Time Filters because on so many levels, they make it possible for you to breathe easier. ;)
Carie says
Somewhere I think I was told to check/change it every quarter!?! My husband has this task and looks at it every Fall, before we turn our furnace on for the winter. I’d like to use the fan setting in the summer but it never seems to be hot enough long enough to do so and if I were “able” to I’d have him look at it then too! This sounds like a great service and will have it set-up for my grandma. Wonderful tip!
Sheila says
My husband is an HVAC technician and you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t know to change these, or how often. On one hand, their not knowing keeps my husband in a job, but a lot of problems could be averted with regular filter changes. I wish I’d thought of making that a business!
Kellie says
My husband is an HVAC contractor, and I am always shocked when he tells me how many service calls they run that could have been prevented by the homeowner simply changing the filter. I agree with Sheila – wish I would have thought about making that a business!
Courtney says
We change ours every month because my husband and son have allergies/asthma. It is amazing how quickly the filters get clogged with all kinds of dust and other grossness!
Filters go on sale pretty frequently at Target, Walmart or Lowes, so we stock up then and have a note on the calendar to remind us to change the filter at the beginning of each month.
Jessica says
My husband also is an HVAC Contractor. He changes ours once a month. I find that I rarely have to dust my house because we have a continuous blowing fan on our furnace. I am shocked each month when he pulls it out and changes the filter. He also comments on house calls he’s gone to where some one hasn’t changed the filter in years! Yuck!
elizabeth says
We have a specialty filter that you do not change, but you must clean instead with a hose. I was terrible about remembering to wash it. And in FL we run AC virtually year-round, round the clock, save for a few really cold days. My solution was to start associating that chore with my pay-days. So twice a month I wash out the filter and my garbage can and it has been so simple to remember!
molly says
I LOVE this idea, and the prices looked comparable to our local walmart prices….but then after creating an account, choosing my filter and automated dates of delivery, THEN i get a $7.40 SHIPPING CHARGE!? that takes it out of the realm of “worth it” to me. Our filters (filtrete brand) come with a sticker on the outside of the package. We simply remove the sticker when we purchase a new one and place it on the day on the calendar when we will need to replace it again. This date is usually on the end of the month so I see the sticker as a reminder for the entire month and pick up a filter at some point when I am grocery shopping. Much more efficient than spending almost DOUBLE the price b/c of shipping.
Laura says
Hmm…we can’t get ours at Walmart, so this plan makes sense for us!
Laura says
Molly,
Here is a little more information to help explain a little more about Prime Time Filter’s shipping information/policies:
1. Shipping is one of two prices $5.00 or $7.40 depending on the customers zip code. Rural route addresses (as defined by the USPS) are charged $7.40 while everyone else is charged $5.00
2. We have a section on the home page that prominently say “affordable shipping” and lists the two rates and allows customers to enter their zip code to see what their shipping charge will be.
3. what we charge for shipping doesn’t cover what we actually pay for shipping. Because all these filters are sent to homes, there are additional fees on top of the base rate. In addition, there are fuel surcharges. In most cases we are paying approximately $2.50 to $3.00 of the shipping costs. It is just how shipping things works.
4. Whether someone has a single filter (or several filters in their home) that they replace quarterly, in addition to what they are paying for their filter, shipping would be less than $2.00 a month. If a rural address is would be less than $3.00 per month. Our customers are happy to pay a small amount more to never have to remember or deal with this important chore.
I hope this helps clear up any confusion or frustration you may have felt!
Tina says
Wow, you should get a free subscription for like a year or so with that kind of a sales pitch. Sign me up!! :)
Edana says
Hi Laura,
Ok, I know this is about clean air, but I wanted to ask about broth, yeah the chicken, beef and turkey kind, I have been really really good at saving and freezing my broth, making it really healthy from grass feed animals and getting all the good vitamins and minerals in it, but now I have a freezer full and not a clue what to do with it all, not one single recipe that calls for more than a can of broth and I have quarts and quarts! So I was hoping you might help me out with some healthy recipes to use up all my good broth, it might even make a good e-book, as I hope I am not the only clueless one out there with a ton of broth. Thank you!
Laura says
I’ll put it on “the list” of things to write about!! :)
Holly T. says
Love your blog – I get so much inspiration from you!
Nominated you for a blog award: http://happysahmworld.blogspot.com/2010/07/two-more-blog-awards.html
Blessings,
Holly T.
Laura says
Thank you!
S. Davis says
Well…I have to say the constant replacing of filters may produce clean air, but it adds to the landfill. I have noticed that while installed, if I have purchased the nicer filters (not highest grade, but also not lowest) I can use my canister vacuum to clean it & it gets a longer use, less expense & less waste.
I have not tried the washable kind, but that would really be the best for the environment.
Thank you!