You probably don’t think much about your air filter until there is a major problem, but ignoring it can cause a lot more issues for your Warner Robins, Georgia, home than you may realize. When your air filter is dirty, your air quality can suffer, your energy bills can increase, and it can even cause your HVAC unit to break down completely. Simply changing out your air filter regularly can reduce stress on your HVAC system, make the temperature of your home more comfortable, save you money on your bills, and even improve your health.
Poor Air Quality
Your air filter prevents dirt and debris from circulating in the air throughout your home. If your air filter is dirty or clogged, then your indoor air quality will suffer. Poor indoor air quality can result in flu-like symptoms for you or your family. If someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma, it is even more important that you remember to clean or replace your filter. A dirty air filter can trigger asthma attacks or make allergy symptoms worse.
Make sure you check your air filter regularly. It is especially important to keep an eye on your air filter when you use the system more, and when you tend to stay indoors more often. Change your air filter regularly to prevent any health or respiratory problems.
Increased Energy Usage
When your filter is dirty, it’s not just your air quality that suffers. If air can’t flow easily through your air filter, the blower on your HVAC system has to work harder to circulate air through your home. The more clogged the air filter, the more energy your unit uses to get air through your home. Changing your filter regularly, helps to make sure that air can circulate easily, and your system doesn’t use added energy. The less energy your system uses, the more savings you will see on your monthly energy bills.
Added Stress on Your Unit
Dirty air filters can increase the need for more repairs. Having dirty air filters makes your system work harder than it should have to, which adds stress to your HVAC system. If the air filters are clogged, the motor could break down since it is working harder, or your system could overheat. By taking away all that added stress, you can help your system last longer and prevent breakdowns.
Inadequate Heating and Cooling
When the airflow is restricted by dirty or clogged filters, you will start to feel hot or cold spots throughout your home. If air can’t pass through the filter, then your home won’t warm up or cool down as you intend it to. Your comfort is the whole reason you have a heating and cooling system, and your comfort is sacrificed when the air filters are dirty or clogged.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
During the summer your evaporator coils are in danger of freezing if your air filters are dirty or clogged. Condensation that usually drips into the drain pan during the cooling process will instead freeze as air cannot move properly across the coils for the refrigerant to do its job. If air cannot pass through the air filter, that water will freeze instead of drain off, causing frozen evaporator coils in your unit. You can probably guess that frozen coils are bad news for your unit and can cause the unit to break down during the summer.
Dirty air filters can wreak havoc on your home and HVAC unit in any season. Luckily, there is an easy solution for preventing these issues. Start by getting regular maintenance on your unit. An expert will inspect the unit to make sure it is operating efficiently. When you are in between maintenance or service on your unit, check your filters regularly, and change them often to make sure your system and air quality do not suffer.
Call Pruett Air Conditioning at 478-953-4986 in Warner Robins, or at 478-374-1484 in Eastman, to schedule an appointment to service your HVAC system.
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