Changing your HVAC air filter monthly is one of the smallest home maintenance habits you can develop but it can result in the greatest positive impact to your health and finances.
– Edward W. Lui, Mars Hill Realty Group Broker/Owner
Over 90% of our owners have participated in this program to ship filters to our residents on a monthly basis so that they can have a visible reminder on their doorstep to perform this often neglected task.
Our Filter Delivery Service is a mandatory program for our residents when the owner has opted in to this service. We believe the health, preventative maintenance, and long-term financial benefits far outweigh the program costs.
Here are the benefits to our residents:
1. FINANICAL
Save up to 30% on operating costs – A dirty coil can reduce airflow and drop the efficiency of your equipment. This means you will pay more to run the system longer than it needs to. Research conducted by LSU shows that residents can save about $30/month with a clean system that is serviced regularly.
2. HEALTH
Reduces the amount of particulates in the air and prevents mold from developing in the system.
3. COMFORT
Reduce the likelihood of a surprise HVAC failure – HVAC’s never fail at a convenient time. In fact, when it fails during the summer months, it could take several weeks for a replacement due to the busy workload of technicians, equipment ordering delays and need for multiple bids.
4. PEACE OF MIND
Receive a visible reminder to replace your filter each month – Failure to change your filter each month will result in an HVAC servicing charge to your deposit. This charge alone could pay for your filter program. Now you will never forget because the filter will be delivered to your doorstep!
5. CONVENIENCE
Save time from having to purchase filters – No need to make trips to Home Depot or browse around on the Internet. We take care of finding out the right size and sending it to you each and every month.
Here are the benefits to our owners:
1. Higher chance of filter replacement
Most residents have not developed the habit of regular filter replacement. Proctor Engineering Group conducted a study and found that more than half of all air conditioning problems are due to a dirty or clogged filters and/or coil.
2. Protect your HVAC unit from the expenses of early repairs and failure
Early repairs or a full replacement can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars.
3. Protect your HVAC ductwork
Reduce the need for cleaning of the duct work and other related components.
4. Convenience
Tenants receive filters every month regardless of how many are needed in the home. We fully manage this program as tenants come and go.
5. Increased Accountability
Although the lease requires filter replacement, there really is no way to enforce it. With this program, we show our residents how to change the filter during our walkthrough and each filter is packaged with directions and an expiration date so we have increased accountability.
Case Study:
You can read about benefits all day long but sometimes all it takes is a photo to see the difference!
In a home we manage in Virginia (where the air conditioning is not running as hard as in Texas), we took a photo to compare two filters, that are replaced monthly, after just 1 month of usage:
This HVAC unit probably runs less (more efficient) than our average rental home unit if you consider the following:
• The home’s entire HVAC system (unit, ductwork, duct location, etc.) was designed and engineered for efficiency and properly sized according to the load calculations.
• The home was constructed in 2017 using SIP panel construction (eliminates thermal bridging and provides a more consistent R-value), spray foam and highly insulative Low-E 366 with Argon Gas Aluminum clad windows.
• This home uses a Carrier Infinity two-stage variable speed furnace and 17 SEER variable speed 2 ton heat pump. The home has an Aprilaire de-humidifier dedicated to removing moisture in the air to improve the system’s cooling efficiency.
• Ceiling fans are installed in almost every room in the home.
Regardless of all these fancy HVAC credentials, this unit still benefits from a monthly filter change. We would much rather have a clean filter in our HVAC unit instead of breathing air from the dirty one for an additional two months, wouldn’t you? Operating with a clean filter would also result in less strain on the HVAC system, prolonging the longevity and reducing unexpected maintenance calls.
