It’s been said that the key to keeping any major purchase fully functional is to create a routine maintenance schedule for the item. Whether this includes changingthe oil and rotating tires for your car, or change home air filters for your heating and air conditioning units, without constant maintenance of these expensive mechanical units, you’ll be up the creek without a paddle and find yourself replacing these expensive units sooner than you should – or you could afford.
There are many reasons why you should replace home air filters on a regular basis that have nothing to do with the actual operation of the unit though. Some of these reasons include:
Health
Home air filters are designed to filter harmful particles from the air we breathe inside our homes to create a cleaner air to breathe daily. However, just like any filter, they are designed to collect this debris and fill up over time. If they are not replaced on a regular schedule, three things are bound to occur:
1) The dust, debris, particles, and contaminates that are trapped in the filter will come loose from the filter and find themselves inside the air you breathe. Not only does this not clean your air, it makes it worse. This could be deadly for those who live with COPD or other breathing issues.
2) The filter will eventually break. This will allow all contaminates from outside your home to enter your house without filtration. The result here is not only dirty air to breathe, but also will place a nice layer of dust on every countertop, kitchen food preparation area and furniture in your home. This will contaminate the food you eat and lead to more food borne illness.
3) Will impact your pet life. Many people tend to forget that their pets also dwell in the house and are impacted by the air they breathe as well. Dirty air can and does impact your pets health just like it can for humans.
Electronic Failure
By not replacing air filters in the home, you also increase the risk of your important electronics failing and breaking sooner than you’d like them to or expect. Dust and dirt that is not filtered through HVAC filtration ends up collecting on electronic devices like televisions, computers and stereo systems. This dust and dirt then embeds itself inside the electronic device by entering the holes designed to allow the electronic system to breathe and cool down. The result is that the electronic devices begin to experience troubles with transferring electricity to the unit and can completely fail in many cases.
Premature Failure of the AC & Heating System
If you neglect to change the filters the dust will begin to form layers of dirt that wreak havoc on the air conditioning and heating system itself. This is a major concern because it’s every home owners goal to extend the life of the unit for as long as possible. This one mistake creates the following problems:
- Dirt build-up on components in air conditioning system
- Clogged airflow
- Poor air circulation overworks your motors reducing the life of the ac and heating motors
- Dirty ducts restricting air flow
- You can cause water leaks
- Freon leaks due to the build-up of pressure and lack of air circulation
Another key result of not replacing air filters in your home is the impact it has on your furniture and household items. Dirt and dust are tiny rock particles that are sharp and harmful for furniture. They are embedded into the furniture and every time you sit on a dirty and dust filled piece of furniture, the dust and dirt particles begin to eat away at the fabrics your furniture is manufactured from.
Simply put, the cost of choosing not to change home air filters can impact your health, your pocketbook and your quality of life. Make the right choice and make sure you instigate a simple air filter replacement schedule for a healthier and happier lifestyle. A simple tip to remember when to change your air filter is to do it every time you pay your water bill or electric bill every month.
If you’re concerned about the current state of your air conditioning unit or feel that your air ducts have become overly dirty, we can help. Give our team a call at 623-209-8333 to learn more about how you can improve the indoor air quality in your home.
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Kristi is the owner and co-founder of On Time Air Conditioning. As an award winning director for a large fortune 500 company she attributes her early success to having high customer satisfaction standards. Kristi’s core vales and standards are focused on keeping customers happy which is the backbone and mission at On Time Air, one of the Valley’s top air conditioning companies. Kristi loves taking care of her customers, so if there is anything that you need, please contact her at 623-334-3555.