Changing AC filters is a type of routine home maintenance that almost every homeowner is aware of. However, even though most people know they should change their AC filters, they often delay this task because they don’t understand why it’s so important. Learning about all the advantages of regularly changing your AC filters will help motivate you to keep up with this chore. By taking just a few minutes to complete this quick and easy task, you’ll get all the benefits discussed here.
Better Air Quality
One of the most important benefits of regularly changing AC filters is that it improves your indoor air quality. If you want your air to be as fresh and clean as possible, you need an effective filter. Your AC filters help to catch a lot of dust and other airborne contaminants before they can get into your system. They lock away this grime inside the filter, so you don’t end up accidentally inhaling it while you relax at home.
While a fresh filter does a great job of improving air quality, forgetting to change it will eventually cause problems. As your AC pulls air through your filter, contaminants start to build up. Eventually, dust won’t have any filter fibers to get caught in. Instead, it will just bounce right off your overly-full filter and float around in your home again. If you ignore your filter change for too long, your air quality will start to decline. Your home might smell musty and funky, and there will be more contaminants floating around.
If your home has mold or other microorganisms, an old filter can be especially problematic. Changing your filter lets you catch mold spores and remove them from your house. If you don’t change the filter, the mold has a chance to grow and spread in your HVAC system. Breathing in mold can cause a lot of issues. You might notice that you wake up with a sore throat and stuffy nose, or you could have chronic headaches and other health problems.
Improved AC Efficiency
A clogged air filter also causes problems for your air conditioner. Filters are supposed to have a lot of fine holes for air to pass through. As dust blocks these holes, it takes more and more effort for your AC to pull air through the filter. Trying to pull air through a blocked filter makes your HVAC system work a lot harder. Not only does it run for a longer period of time, but your home won’t feel as cool.
Changing your filter regularly is one of the easiest ways you can make your HVAC system efficient. When it’s working with a clean, properly sized filter, you’ll get cool air without using excess energy. You’ll have a more efficient, environmentally-friendly system, and the improved efficiency will also save you money because your electric bills will be lower.
Reduced Risk of Needing AC Repairs
Another big benefit of changing your AC filters regularly is that it keeps your AC working properly. When your AC filters are clogged, your AC has to work harder. This puts a lot of wear and tear on the system. Eventually, you can end up with important components like your AC compressor breaking down. Furthermore, clogged filters let a lot of dirt and debris into your system, which can damage parts. If you don’t change your filters, you can have a clogged condensate drain line backing up and causing leaks in your house. Another common problem linked to dirty air is frozen evaporator coils. Dusty air makes it harder for your evaporator coils to absorb heat, so the condensation on the coils gets too cold and starts to freeze.
Fortunately, all of these problems can be avoided by just changing your AC filter. Most homeowners find that the price of a filter is definitely worth it because it prevents them from having to spend hundreds of dollars on AC repairs. Furthermore, changing your filters can mean you’re less likely to end up with an AC breaking down at an inconvenient time and leaving you sweating for days.
Over time, making your AC work harder can diminish its life expectancy. Even if you aren’t experiencing noticeable issues like puddles of water around your AC or warm air blowing from your vents, skipping filter changes will still gradually harm your system. Homeowners who fail to change their filters often enough will end up needing to get a new air conditioner much sooner than expected.
Relief From Allergies
If anyone in your home has allergies, prompt air filter changes are absolutely essential. Changing your AC filter regularly is something doctors will often recommend to allergy sufferers. Instead of changing your filter every 90 days, your doctor might suggest you change it every 60 days or even every 30 days. By frequently changing your filter, you trap allergens and remove them from your home.
This can be very helpful for people who are allergic to pollen, mold, pet dander, or other airborne contaminants. Skipping filter changes leads to higher levels of allergens in the air, so you can end up with itchy eyes, hives, or difficulty breathing.
More Comfortable Temperatures
Do you often feel as if your home takes forever to cool down? This can be a sign it’s time to change your AC filter. If your filter is very clogged, your system cannot absorb and remove heat efficiently. This causes the air coming from your AC to feel warmer. If your AC is turned off while you’re away from home, you’ll find that it takes quite a while for your house to reach a comfortable temperature again.
Homeowners who prioritize comfort can definitely benefit from changing their filters regularly. You get more control over your AC, so you get precisely the temperature you want. A more efficient system is also less likely to lead to hot and cold spots in your residence. Ultimately, if you want your indoor temperatures to suit your preferences, you need to remember to change your filter often.
A Cleaner Home
In addition to benefiting your health and your pocketbook, regularly changing your AC filters also has some perks for your home. When you take the time to change your filters, you cut back on the general level of dust floating around inside your house. You might find that you have to dust and mop less often, and your home will smell fresher and cleaner as well.
Many homeowners are surprised to realize just how huge of an effect their filters have on their home’s cleanliness. However, if you skip too many filter changes, you’ll start to notice. A common sign that a home isn’t changing its filters is black streaks around its vents. This can happen when the air is so dirty that it leaves grime on the walls or ceiling.
At Level 9 Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, we provide professional maintenance visits to ensure your HVAC system is running optimally. We also help Washington and St. Louis residents with a variety of other HVAC repair and installation services. Schedule your service appointment by contacting us at Level 9 Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing today.
