Here’s an important question for you, considering the time of the year. Have you scheduled your routine air conditioning maintenance for the season? If you haven’t yet, we encourage you still to do so. A little late is definitely better than a full year late when it comes to your air conditioning tune-up in Bolingbrook, IL. While the vast majority of your air conditioning maintenance must be completed professionally, there is one step that you can take on your own to help keep your system functioning at peak performance and efficiency levels. That is replacing your air filter regularly.
The air filter in your air conditioner serves a vital function — though it may not really be the function that you expect. More on that later. For now, suffice to say that overlooking the replacement of your air conditioner’s air filter, which should generally be changed every 1-3 months, can have seriously negative consequences for your comfort and your system itself. Read on, contact our team with any questions that you may have, and live in the level of comfort that we know you deserve.
Poor Efficiency, Subpar Air Quality, and Operational Issues
That heading above may sound rather ominous, but we honestly are not trying to alarm you — not without due cause, anyway. The fact is that, while changing an air filter is quite simple and anyone can do it, failing to do so can have serious repercussions. First and foremost, there is the expense to consider.
These air filters are cheap, and having a fresh one in place can actually help you to save money down the road. Think about blowing through a straw. It’s more difficult to do if you have a very narrow straw, right, or even one that you’ve stuck the wrapper into? Well, the same holds true for your air filter. If your air filter is very dirty, it will restrict airflow. When that happens, your system will have to work harder to force air through it. That means that it will use more energy, which will be reflected in your cooling costs.
Now, your indoor air quality will also be negatively affected by a dirty air filter. The function of these standard filters really is not to protect the quality of the air throughout your home, though more efficient and designated air filters are certainly available for doing so. Instead, these filters are used to protect the equipment itself. If the filter is dirty enough, though, air may forced around it, rather than through it, introducing pollutants into the ductwork to be distributed throughout the house.
Finally, there is your air conditioner itself to consider. The wear and tear of working overtime due to a dirty air filter can really take a toll, increasing the risk of damages. The system may overheat, leading it to short cycle, or ice may develop on the evaporator coil and impede the cooling process. All in all, keeping a fresh filter in place is a simple way to avoid a lot of problems.
Be sure to schedule your air conditioning services with DuAll Heating & Cooling.
