How Often to Change 24x25x5 Day and Night Air Filters
TL;DR
Replace a Day and Night 24x25x5 air filter about every 90 days, and inspect it at 60. Homes with pets, allergies, asthma, wildfire smoke, or remodeling dust usually need a new filter every six to eight weeks. Because runtime fills a filter faster than the calendar does, peak heating and cooling months deserve the closest watch.
Key Takeaways
Filterbuy’s Day and Night 24x25x5 replacement air filter is a 5-inch-deep pleated media filter rated for about 90 days in a typical home.
The filter actually measures about 23.63 x 24.69 x 4.25 inches, so order by the size printed on the old frame, not a tape measure.
Installing a fresh filter right before peak cooling and heating season puts clean media in place for the hardest-working months.
Judge a used filter by its intake side: if a bright lamp barely shows through the pleats, it is due.
What Size Is a Day and Night 24x25x5 Air Filter?
A 24x25x5 filter is a nominal size, meaning the label is rounded. Filterbuy lists the actual size of its 24x25x5 replacement as 23.63 x 24.69 x 4.25 inches, which lets it slide into the cabinet track without binding.
The ordering mistake I see most is trusting a tape measure on the cabinet opening; read the size printed on the old frame instead. Other returns in the same home may use 1-inch sizes such as a 14x30x1 pleated furnace filter, a 16x25x1 MERV 13 filter six-pack, a 14x14x1 MERV 8 filter four-pack, or a 20x23x1 MERV 8 filter six-pack. The same frame-label rule applies to MERV 11 16x22x1 filters, 20x24x1 filters, 16.5x22 filters, and 16x20x4 filters.
How Often Should You Change a 24x25x5 Filter in a Typical Home?
Change it about every 90 days in a home without pets or allergy concerns. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that filter makers typically recommend 60 to 90 days, with sooner changes for heavily soiled filters.
Ninety days in a mild April and 90 days in a humid July are different workloads. When I started dating my own filters, the ones installed just before peak season came out dirtiest. My rule now: install a fresh filter in late spring and early fall, and let the two quieter-season changes run the full 90 days.
When Should You Change It Sooner?
Shorten the interval to six to eight weeks when your home adds more particles than a typical household:
Pets: Shedding dogs and cats load filters quickly, and the proteins behind pet allergies travel on microscopic airborne particles.
Allergies or asthma: Dust mites and pets rank among the five common indoor asthma triggers, so fresher media matters more in these homes.
Wildfire smoke: Fine smoke particles fill a filter fast, so check it after every smoke event; the National Air Filtration Association publishes filtration guidance for wildfire smoke.
Remodeling dust: Drywall sanding can clog a filter in days.
Long run seasons: Heating season brings its own common filter problems, and this homeowner guide to winter filter issues adds a quick check routine.
Why Does a 5-Inch Filter Last Longer Than a 1-Inch Filter?
A 5-inch filter holds far more pleated media, so airflow resistance rises slowly as it loads. That lets a deep filter reach 90 days, while many 1-inch filters run on a one- to three-month cycle. The same principle applies to 4-inch 20x24x4 air filters, and this comparison of washable, pleated, and HEPA furnace filters explains why pleated media suits most homes.
Can it go six months? Possibly, in a lightly used system: ASHRAE notes that higher-efficiency filters hold more dust and may allow longer intervals, and some cabinet makers publish six months to a year. I still start at the 90 days Filterbuy rates its replacement for and stretch only after two or three dated filters in a row come out light.
Does the MERV Rating Change How Often You Replace It?
Slightly. According to the EPA, MERV ratings measure how well a filter captures particles from 0.3 to 10 microns, and higher ratings trap more fine dust, so they load a little sooner. Filterbuy makes the 24x25x5 Day and Night replacement in three ratings:
MERV 8: Captures household dust and pollen; a good fit for homes without allergy concerns.
MERV 11: Captures pet dander and smaller particles, which makes the MERV 11 version of the 24x25x5 replacement filter my default pick for pet owners. Canadian readers can find the same MERV 11 filter for Canadian homes.
MERV 13: Traps the finest particles, including much of the smoke that gets indoors; check the first one at 45 to 60 days to learn your home’s pace.
For allergy-prone households, this guide to choosing a furnace filter for winter allergies compares MERV 11 and MERV 13 in more depth.
How Can You Tell a 24x25x5 Filter Needs Changing?
The clearest sign is a gray intake face, the side toward the return duct, that blocks light. If you’ve wondered whether an air filter makes a real difference, these signs show it:
My lamp test: Hold the filter to a bright lamp, intake side toward you. Even light means let it run, patchy light means swap within two weeks, and no light means change it now.
Rooms heat or cool more slowly, or the airflow feels weaker.
Energy bills climb with no change in weather or settings.
How Do You Replace a Day and Night 24x25x5 Filter?
Cut power, slide the new filter in with its arrow toward the blower, and close the cabinet; the job takes about five minutes.
Turn the system off at the thermostat and switch off the furnace or air handler service switch.
Open the media cabinet door between the return duct and the furnace or air handler.
Remove the old filter and note the airflow arrow on its frame.
Insert the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the blower.
Close the door snugly and restore power. Dust streaks on the frame edges at your next check mean air is slipping around the filter.
Write the install date on the frame and set a 60-day reminder.
If a fresh filter doesn’t restore airflow, the cause is elsewhere. Leaky ducts are common in humid climates, hence the focus on duct sealing in Florida homes, and an aging system may need replacement, whether that means HVAC replacement in Boca Raton or a contractor near you. Some homeowners add an HVAC ionizer installation for whole-home air cleaning, and this home air filter blog covers everyday filter care.
“Writing the date on the frame changed how I handle deep filters. After a few cycles, I stopped guessing and started replacing on my home’s real schedule, not the one on the box.”
Ericka Boughner, author
Essential Resources
Day and Night 24x25x5 replacement air filters in MERV 8, 11, and 13. Actual dimensions and MERV options for the filter are covered in this guide.
U.S. EPA, Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home. Federal guidance on MERV 13 filters and 60- to 90-day replacement intervals.
ASHRAE, Filtration and Disinfection FAQ. Engineering answers on airflow resistance and replacement timing.
ENERGY STAR, Heating and Cooling Maintenance Checklist. A seasonal checklist built around monthly filter checks.
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Air Filters. Allergist advice on MERV 11 to 13 filters and three-month replacement.
North Carolina Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Air-Cleaning Devices. Public health advice on pleated filters and a snug fit.
InterNACHI, Inspecting for Proper Installation of HVAC Filters. Home inspector guidance on matching the filter to its cabinet and sealing the access panel so air cannot leak around it.
Supporting Statistics
About 152.3 million Americans, or 44% of the population, live in places that get failing grades for ozone or particle pollution.
Source: American Lung Association, State of the Air 2026 Key Findings
About 25 million people in the U.S., or 7.7% of the population, had asthma in 2021.
Source: CDC, Most Recent National Asthma Data
More than 106 million people in the U.S. experience allergies each year.
Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Allergy Facts and Figures
Final Thoughts
A 24x25x5 filter needs fewer changes than a 1-inch filter, not zero. Treat 90 days as the ceiling, shorten it for pets, allergies, or smoke, and stretch it only when inspections prove your home loads it slowly.
Next Steps
Read the size and MERV rating on your current filter’s frame, or use this guide to find furnace filters near you.
Note the install date and set a 60-day reminder for the lamp test.
Match the MERV rating to your household: 8 for basic dust, 11 for pets, 13 for smoke or allergies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use a 1-Inch Filter in a Day and Night 5-Inch Media Cabinet?
No. A 1-inch filter leaves a wide gap in a cabinet built for 5-inch depth, so air slips around it unfiltered.
Will a MERV 13 Filter Hurt My Day and Night System?
Usually not. The EPA notes that most furnaces and HVAC systems can accommodate a MERV 13 filter without equipment problems, and the 5-inch depth keeps resistance lower. If airflow drops noticeably after the switch, have a technician check the system.
How Many 24x25x5 Filters Do I Need per Year?
About four at a 90-day interval, or six to eight in homes with pets or allergy sufferers. I keep one spare on the shelf so changes happen on time, and Filterbuy can also ship this size on a set schedule through auto delivery.
Can I Vacuum and Reuse a 24x25x5 Pleated Filter?
No. Pleated media is disposable, and vacuuming removes only surface dust while fine particles stay locked in the fibers.
Should I Also Keep a Filter in the Return Grille?
Usually not. The media cabinet is designed to be the system’s filter, and a second filter at the grille adds airflow resistance without much benefit. Ask a technician before removing one.
Keep Your 24x25x5 Filter on a Schedule That Fits Your Home
Pull the filter from your Day and Night media cabinet this week, note its size and install date, and use the lamp test to decide whether your home belongs on the 90-day schedule or a faster one.
Glossary
Media cabinet: The housing that holds a deep 4- or 5-inch filter between the return duct and the furnace or air handler.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, the 1 to 16 ASHRAE Standard 52.2 scale for particle capture.
Pressure drop: The airflow resistance an air filter creates, which rises as dust builds up and makes the blower work harder.
Day and Night 24x25x5 replacement air filter: A 5-inch-deep pleated media filter made in the USA by Filterbuy to fit Day and Night systems that take a 24x25x5 filter, offered in MERV 8, 11, and 13 and rated for about 90 days of use.
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