In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, oftentimes the little things like ac maintenance and changing your HVAC air filter slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, this could cause serious problems if you aren't careful. Among the issues a dirty air filter can cause are:
- Dirty air ducts. If the filter's dirty, everything past the filter is dirty too, including the air you breathe. This pumps your home full of dust and allergens.
- Speaking of allergens, they can cause a number of physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, tightness in your chest, and a mess of cold symptoms you may not be able to shake. A dirty air filter may be ineffective in controlling them.
- Reduced air flow. A/C units are designed to work with a certain amount of internal air flow, and if that isn't being met the A/C may malfunction and ultimately fail. It can also raise your energy bill as your system struggles to take in air.
- Cooling inefficiency. When dirt gets onto the cooling coils, it lets frost build up on the coils and the fans, which makes it more difficult for the unit to cool your house.
- Skyrocketing power bills. Between the cooling inefficiency and the reduced air flow, a dirty air filter means your A/C has to work much, much harder in order to cool your house, which means it takes more power to fuel it. You may not realize how much money could be saved by simply changing the filter.
Changing your air filter is a simple five-minute task, and as you can see, it's not one you can afford to skip. You may need to change it monthly, or if it is of higher quality, every three months. If you have indoor pets and several people living in the house, change the filter more often.
For more on changing your dirty air filter and repairing the damage a dirty one may have caused, there's no one better than Avery, proudly serving North Carolina. Don't hesitate to contact us at Avery Heating & Air.
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