Air Filters: All You Need to Know

How clean is the air in your home? Dust, molds, bacteria and other allergens inside your home could mean that you can fall sick easily. And while you might have bought an air conditioner for just that, have you taken care of the air filters?
 
Air filters are the critical component of any air conditioning unit, be it stand alone or central. Though this is a vital part, most of the times we fail to realize how important it is and subsequently are complacent about its auto service and maintenance.
 

How Does an Air Filter Work?

An air filter filters out the dust particles and pollens from outside which prevents them from being circulated inside the house. Due to this function they always at risk of getting clogged. Clogged air filters are the leading cause of your air condition system to malfunction. All the air that gets circulated within the system passes through the air filter at some point, and it catches all the pollution of your home as well including dust, fibers, mould, pet fibers etc. which makes the precipitate on its mesh dense.
 

Why is Servicing the Air Filter so Important?
Here is why you need to take care of air filters maintenance.
 
1. Clogging - A clogged air filter is an unnecessary and avoidable damage to your air conditioning unit. The blower fan needs to push harder through the dirty mesh which causes it to wear out. There is the longevity of your system if you regularly check the filters thus avoiding spending in repair and part replacement costs.
 
2. Escalating Electricity Bills - Changing or cleaning an air filter saves you significantly on operating costs. A dirty air filter works twice as hard than its newer or cleaner counterpart, consuming more energy and building up substantial electricity costs for you to bear. By keeping it maintained you could save your excess costs up to almost 15%.
 
3. Unclean Living Environment - Regarding your home cleanliness and atmosphere, a clean air filter ensures cleaner and dust free air. This enables you and your family to be free from dust allergies, avoid inhalation of mould and pet dander. It also doesn’t circulate the same dirty air in and around the house all day. Instead, it pulls out your particle pollution and leaves you with a healthier home.
 
4. Hazardous Component Failure – Far more critical than the above is a component failure due to a clogged filter. Very often because the filter is working hard to push the air out through the mesh, the amount of air (heated or cooled), cannot travel out at the required flow rate. This orchestrates the HVAC components to overheat or freeze up. Even though the system may be working, you will not find a change in room temperature. Furthermore, overheating put your unit at risk of a fire.

It is best to service your filters once a quarter of a year especially if you live in mainly dust prone areas. They are easy on the pocket for servicing and replacement as well. A sound technician will be able to guide you as to which filter fits the profile of your unit and home the best. Call us today if you are looking for the right air filters maintenance experts!