If you are serious about avoiding the need for air conditioning repair in Avon, OH, there are a few steps that you really need to take. You need to schedule your AC installation with trained professionals you can trust. That’s us. And you need to change your air filter regularly. That’s—well that’s actually up to you. Here’s why.
The air filter in your air conditioner plays a vital role in its overall performance. It also needs to be changed once every 1-3 months, depending upon a few different factors. Yes, we’ll change your air filter when we tune up your system each year. And yes, you need to change it as needed the rest of the year! If you think that a dirty air filter can’t really be that big of a deal, then this is just the blog to set things straight.
What Does This Filter Do?
Well, it obviously filters air, right? Not too much confusion about that at the macro level. To what end does this standard air filter filter the air, though? That’s where most homeowners get a bit confused. They think that, because the indoor air quality in their homes seems decent, they don’t really need this type of air filter.
However, this type of air filter isn’t there to boost indoor air quality throughout the home!
The purpose of this filter is actually to protect the air conditioning system itself from problems caused by the buildup of airborne pollutants on its sensitive components. If you’re wondering if such pollutants are that big of a deal, consider this. The coil in your AC can get so dirty and caked with debris that the removal of heat from the air in your home will be compromised—and removing that heat is the entire point of using an air conditioning system!
Problems Caused by Dirty Filters
So having even a dirty air filter in the system is better than having no air filter at all, right? Not really. Sure, an air filter that’s a little dirty is still going to do its job. You can’t change them daily, after all. However, a very dirty air filter is going to have a number of different consequences for your air conditioner.
- Reduced Energy Efficiency: If your air conditioner has to force air through a dirty filter, it is going to use more energy than it should have to in order to do its job. That is going to wind up driving energy efficiency down. And that drives operating costs up.
- Reduced Performance Quality: The greater the airflow resistance, the weaker the cooling output. Not only does air distribution become a problem but, as with a dirty coil, a dirty filter can impede the entire cooling process. The reduced airflow can lead to a cold coil, which can lead to the freezing of the condensation on that coil!
- Increased Risk of Damage: The greater the strain on your AC, the greater the risk of damage. Don’t make your air conditioner more susceptible to operational problems than it would otherwise be.
Schedule your AC services with Westland Heating & Air Conditioning.
