Having a well-functioning air conditioning system during the summer months in Playa Vista is an absolute must. As a homeowner, you may be focused on programming your thermostat and monitoring your energy bills. However, one of the simplest, most effective tactics to ensure optimal AC efficiency is to routinely change your air filter. This one component has such a big impact on your system’s performance, longevity, and overall operating efficiency.
What Does an AC Filter Do?
Your air conditioner filter is there to trap airborne contaminants before they can reach the inside of your HVAC system. As air circulates throughout your home, it carries along pet dander, pollen, dirt, dust, mold spores, and other airborne contaminants. If there weren’t a filter in place, all those contaminants would accumulate inside your air conditioner and shorten its overall lifespan.
Your air filter is positioned inside your return ducting. As your blower fan circulates air throughout your ductwork, it travels through the air filter on its way to your indoor air handler unit. The filter itself captures those tiny particles as air passes through it.
Apart from just protecting the internal components of your air conditioning system, its air filter is also great for improving your indoor air quality. This can be great if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or other respiratory conditions.
How a Dirty Air Filter Can Affect Airflow
When your air filter gets packed full of debris, it can restrict airflow throughout your system. This is because there are so many airborne particles in the filter itself that it acts more like a wall. Your HVAC system has to work harder to try to push air through it. Restricted airflow can lead to several different problems with your system.
It’s going to struggle to effectively cool your home as it won’t be able to adequately circulate enough cold air throughout. Your system will run much longer cycles trying to reach your desired temperature setting. This will consume more energy, which will lead to higher energy bills. Furthermore, this puts a massive strain on your AC equipment. This leads to increased wear and tear, a shortened lifespan, and a greater risk of experiencing a breakdown.
One of the lesser-known results of a dirty air filter is that it can lead to frozen evaporator coils. As your air conditioning system naturally runs, it pulls in warm air from inside your home and heat transfers into the refrigerant inside the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is naturally cool, but if the airflow is restricted, the evaporator coil won’t be able to get enough heat.
This can cause the evaporator coil temperature to drop even further. It will develop ice on the surface, and eventually the ice layer will get so solid that no heat will transfer in. This will render your air conditioning system unable to cool your home. It may cause it to experience severe compressor damage if left too long.
Enhance Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a big concern for a lot of homeowners. This holds especially true for those who suffer from respiratory conditions, allergies, and asthma. Airborne contaminants like pet dander, pollen, and dust can all circulate throughout your home. Having an air filter in place helps trap these unwanted particles to enhance your indoor air quality.
Unfortunately, if your filter has reached the end of its lifespan and is clogged full of debris, it may lose its ability to effectively trap these particles. Instead, they just continually get circulated throughout your home and reduce your indoor air quality. You may notice an increase in your symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, and allergy flare-ups. When you replace your air filter routinely, it helps to capture airborne contaminants to maintain healthy indoor air quality for your family.
Reduce Dust Indoors
Another reason that you should keep up with routinely changing your AC filter is to reduce the amount of dust in your home. If you start to notice that your home is getting unusually dusty, it usually means that your HVAC filter is dirty and in need of replacement. A clogged air filter will allow dust to bypass the filtration system and continue to circulate throughout your home.
You will notice it severely on your surfaces like shelves, floors, furniture, and electronics. Not only will this make your cleaning more difficult, but it will also reduce your air quality. Keeping up with routine filter changes will ensure that you significantly reduce the amount of dust circulating throughout your home.
Extend System Lifespan
One underrated reason to keep up with routine air filter changes is that it extends the longevity of your HVAC system. HVAC systems are a major financial investment for most average homeowners. You want to do everything possible to extend the lifespan of your system so you get more for your money. When you routinely change your air filter, it ensures that there’s no unnecessary strain on the internal components of your system. A dirty air filter can strain these components and lead to premature wear and tear.
How Often to Change Your Air Filter
In general, most homeowners find they need to replace their air filter every two to three months. However, your air filter may need to be changed more often if you have multiple pets or suffer from allergies. It’s a good rule of thumb to check your air filter every month.
You can do this by pulling it out of your air filter housing and holding it up to a light. Look through the filter. If you can see through it, it’s still good. If you can’t, it’s time for a replacement. It’s best to keep a spare filter on hand so that you can do a replacement whenever necessary without hesitation.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to purchasing replacement air filters. It is most important to get the right size filter. You can check your existing filter’s size and purchase the same one. Or, you can check the owner’s manual for your system. You want to avoid putting a smaller filter into the housing, as it won’t filter your air. Rather, all the contaminated air will simply flow around it unobstructed.
If you suffer from allergies, asthma, or a respiratory condition, be mindful of the filter’s MERV rating. You can run a filter between 1 and 13 in your residential system. A filter with a rating above 14 is designed for industrial HVAC units and will cause excessive strain in a residential unit. If you want the best filtration possible to reduce your allergy symptoms, opt for a filter rating of 11 to 13. These filters come at a steeper price than standard eight to 10 filters. However, they’ll trap more airborne allergens.
Expert AC Maintenance Service
Belle Air Services offers expert AC maintenance service for Playa Vista, CA and the surrounding communities. We can also assist with all your AC replacement, installation, and repair needs. Simply call our office today to schedule your next service appointment with one of our exceptional AC technicians.
