Where to Find Your Home's Air Filter

Are you wondering where your home's air filter is located? Learn all about HVAC filters, filtration efficiency, and indoor air quality.

Where to Find Your Home's Air Filter

Are you wondering where your home's air filter is located? Whether you're moving to a new home or just need to know how to locate the air filter, here's everything you need to know about air filters. In most homes, the air cleaner housing is located right next to the air handler for your heating or cooling system. It is usually found in the return air duct or in the fan compartment before the return air reaches the air handler. If you already know the filter sizes your home needs, it's a good clue to the shape of the return vent you need to find.

For any other type of system, look for the air cleaner behind the return air grille on the wall, ceiling, or utility closet door. The filter normally slides in a slot above or below the HVAC unit. The air handler draws air from the home through the return duct system and then blows the air through the heating or cooling system and returns it to the house through the duct system. In households that have a lot of occupants and pets, their air filters need to be changed more frequently.

After you locate the first one in your air handler, you'll want to check for a second filter in the return vent. Now that you've finally found your oven filter, you can learn how to change the air filter and start changing it as often as you should. From sizes to types, grades and more, here's everything you need to know about air filters. It brings expert knowledge of a wide range of home air filtration topics, including HVAC filters, filtration efficiency, and indoor air quality.

Irene Rosenzweig
Irene Rosenzweig

Infuriatingly humble web aficionado. Hipster-friendly pizza ninja. Proud food scholar. Extreme tv aficionado. Certified social media specialist.