Free Tool for Long Island Homes
Free Filter Change Reminders for Long Island Homes
Tell us your filter size and how often you want a nudge. We'll text (or email) you when it's time to swap. No charge, no strings. We just want your system to last.
Built by your neighbors in Patchogue.
Get reminders that fit your home
The short answer
How often should you change your HVAC filter?
For most Long Island homes, every 2 to 3 months. That's the honest middle-of-the-road answer that works for the majority of houses we service in Patchogue, Medford, Bellport, Sayville, and the rest of eastern Suffolk County.
Here's the nuance. A standard 1-inch filter in a house with two dogs, a cat, and someone running the AC all summer can be useless in 30 days. A 4-inch or 5-inch pleated filter in a clean home with one pet and moderate use can last a full 6 months. Homes near the bay load up faster than inland homes because of salt air and pollen drift off the South Shore.
Our real advice: whatever cadence you pick, pull the filter out once a month and eyeball it. If you can't see light through it when you hold it up, it's done, no matter what the calendar says.
A clogged filter is the single most common cause of “my AC stopped working” calls we take in August. The system freezes up, the blower struggles, the bill climbs. A clean filter is the cheapest insurance in HVAC.
Sizing
How to find your filter size
The easiest way: pull your current filter out. The size is printed on the cardboard edge, like 16x25x1. The first two numbers are length and width in inches. The last number is the depth, usually 1, 4, or 5 inches. Write that number down. That is your filter size. You don't need to measure anything unless the printed size is worn off.
If you've never pulled a filter before, it lives in one of three places. Behind the large return grille on a wall or ceiling. Inside a slot next to the air handler or furnace in the basement, attic, or closet. Or inside the furnace door itself. Text us a photo of your equipment at 631-209-7090 if you can't find it and we'll tell you where to look.
What size do Patchogue homes typically run?
After a decade of pulling filters out of Long Island homes, here's the rough pattern:
| Size | Common in |
|---|---|
| 14x25x1 | Common in older Patchogue capes |
| 16x25x1 | Most Patchogue ranches built 1955-1975 |
| 20x20x1 | Common in 1980s-90s builds |
| 20x25x1 | Most Patchogue homes built after 2000 |
| 16x25x4 | High-efficiency pleated, newer systems |
| 20x25x4 | High-efficiency pleated, newer systems |
| 20x25x5 | Whole-house media cabinets |
These are generalizations. Always confirm by looking at your actual filter.
DIY in 5 minutes
How to change your HVAC filter
Changing a filter takes about five minutes once you've done it once. You don't need any tools. Here's the whole thing.
- 1
Turn off your HVAC system
Set the thermostat to Off before opening the filter housing. This keeps dust from getting pulled into the blower while the filter is out.
- 2
Locate the filter
Most Long Island homes have the filter in a slot next to the furnace or air handler, or behind a return grille on a wall or ceiling. Some newer systems put it inside the furnace door.
- 3
Note the size and airflow direction
The size is printed on the edge of the filter, like 16x25x1. An arrow on the frame shows the direction airflow should travel, toward the blower. You need the same size and you need to install the new one pointing the same way.
- 4
Slide the old filter out and the new one in
That's it. Match the airflow arrow on the new filter to the direction of airflow. No tools needed.
- 5
Turn the system back on
Write today's date on the new filter with a marker. Next time you pull it out, you'll know exactly how long it's been in. That makes your reminders even more accurate.
For deeper reading on why filters matter for indoor air quality, the EPA's indoor air quality guide and Energy Star's filter guidance both have honest, non-salesy writeups.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
For most Long Island homes, every 2 to 3 months is right. If you have pets, allergies, or you run your system hard in summer, lean toward every month. A 1-inch filter in a dusty house can clog in 30 days. A 4-inch or 5-inch pleated filter in a cleaner home can go 6 months. When you sign up, pick the cadence that matches your home and we'll handle the reminders.
Pull your current filter out of the return grille or the slot next to your air handler or furnace. The size is printed on the cardboard edge, for example 16x25x1. That's the size you need. If the number is worn off, measure the length, width, and thickness in inches. The order on most filters is length by width by depth.
Usually one of three spots. Behind a large return grille on a wall or ceiling, inside a slot next to the air handler or furnace in the basement or attic, or inside the furnace door itself. If you can't find it, text us a photo of your equipment at 631-209-7090 and we'll tell you where to look.
Three things. Your system works harder and wears out faster. Your electric bill goes up because the blower is fighting the clog. Your indoor air quality drops because less air is getting filtered. In a Long Island summer, a really clogged filter can freeze your evaporator coil and leave you without AC on the worst day of the year.
No. It's free for anyone in our service area on Long Island's south shore. We're happy to help whether or not you've ever called us. A lot of homeowners use the reminders for years before they ever book service with us, and that's fine.
Yes. Reply STOP to any text or click unsubscribe in any email. Done. We won't keep sending you anything.
For most homes, MERV 8 to 11 hits the right balance. Lower than MERV 8 and you're not catching much. Higher than MERV 13 and some older systems struggle to pull air through. If anyone in the house has allergies or asthma, MERV 11 to 13 is worth it. If your system is older, ask us before jumping to high-MERV.
Kind of. Salt air off the bay, pollen from the South Shore, and nor'easters all add load. If you live near the water or run windows open in shoulder seasons, your filter loads up faster than a typical inland home. We'd recommend checking every month even if you change less often, just to see how dirty it actually gets.
Our Total Care maintenance plan ($59/month) includes free filter replacement. We bring the filter when we come for tune-ups and swap it. The Basic ($29) and Comfort Monitor ($44) plans both include reminders and system monitoring, but not filters. If you're not on a plan, we don't currently sell filters directly. Any hardware store or Amazon carries the common sizes.
For the hands-off option
Want us to handle the filter too?
If you'd rather not think about it at all, our Total Care maintenance plan at $59 a month includes free filter replacement. We bring the right filter when we come for tune-ups and swap it for you. No ordering, no measuring, no remembering.
Not ready for that? Our Basic ($29) and Comfort Monitor ($44) plans both include reminders and 24/7 system monitoring. You swap the filter yourself, we handle everything else. All three plans come with priority service when you actually need us.
See Maintenance Plans