What do you have right now and what size is it?

You're best advised to choose an HVAC contractor, not a brand.

All brands fail at some point. All brands are capable of delivering musty smells... in fact if you do a search for 'dirty sock syndrome' ---- Trane was the manufacturer who coined that.... because they've experienced it just like every other brand.

Metal, plastic --- none of that matters. Musty smells run the gamut... it could be due to equipment sizing, design of the system among a host of other factors. A brand will not magically cure those problems.

Metal pans rust, plastic pans crack.... so what difference will that make?

Design problems are cured by redesigning.

Use an knowledgeable HVAC contractor. You will always need one.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

Austin Air how often should I change my air filter? A company yesterday told me once a week but that seemed excessive but maybe I am wrong. thanks

greenliving, I hope you get a few quotes and check with several HVAC contractors with good recommendations in places like Yelp.

How often to change an air filter depends on the air filter and the home. It's rarely needed more than once every few months or so but some houses are dusty/dirtier than others. Check it monthly if you like, replace when it looks dirty. The funny thing is that up to a point, a dirty filter works better than a clean one. If too dirty, it restricts air and you don't want that.

greenliving143,

air filtration is greatly influenced by how much you run your HVAC system, the contents of the home: carpeting, pets and how many, if you smoke in the home, number of people in the home, location of the air filter.

If the air filter is in a high traffic location within the home it can get dirtier faster. Typically it's best if you 'check' the filter at least every 30 days. If it's dirty replace it, especially if you are in a hot climate running the AC OR a cold climate and running the furnace.

After you live in the home a few years you'll get a better understanding how often you will need to change the air filters.

Your HVAC system operation is all about air flow. Use a filter that doesn't restrict the air flow either. With the system on, the filter should not be sucked in hard into the filter grill. If the system can not get the air it needs, this can cause break downs among other problems.