Don’t Leave a Dirty Filter in Your AC!
The heat of summer around here can be unforgiving to say the least. Homeowners today have a great selection of air conditioners available to them, at least. That means that there is something for everyone when it comes to the way in which a homeowner may choose to heat his or her home. That being said, even the best air conditioners installed by the best technicians in the industry will falter if not cared for properly. It is for this reason that routine air conditioning maintenance in Corona, CA is so important.
The problem is, though, that many homeowners assume that yearly maintenance is enough to keep their air conditioning systems in the best working condition possible. This really is not the case. You see, there is one component in your air conditioning system that is going to need your attention much, much more frequently than once a month. That is your air filter. Changing it regularly will really help your AC to excel in its operation.
Doesn’t My Technician Check and Change My Filter?
Yes, he or she does — but only once or twice a year during your routine maintenance visit. The air filter in your air conditioner, however, probably requires changing somewhere in the 1-3 month range. That means that changing it out once a year just is not enough.
Is It Really That Big of a Deal, Though?
Yes, it is. You may think that your air filter is doing just fine since you are not suffering from allergy symptoms or noticing an increase in pollutants throughout your home. This type of filter is not really there to improve air quality throughout your living space, though. Instead, it really serves to protect the condition of your air conditioner itself. If it is too dirty, then it can lead to a number of different problems.
What Kind of Problems Are We Talking About?
Potentially serious ones. One of the major issues with a very dirty air filter is the fact that it can seriously reduce airflow throughout your air conditioning system. This can cause the system to work harder than it should have to. That leads to more energy consumption, which in turn leads to higher energy costs.
Now, that may not sound too bad, but you should keep in mind the fact that you’ll be paying more for a lesser cooling performance. As your AC struggles to remove a sufficient amount of heat from the air in your home, its cooling capabilities will probably drop off. Plus, this issue can cause the evaporator coil to get colder than it should, and that can lead to condensation freezing on the coil. That layer of ice can then further insulate the coil, making it even harder for your system to cool your home.
This can also lead the system to short cycle, meaning that it will run only briefly before shutting back down and then starting back up. This not only wastes a lot of energy, but it also puts an immense amount of strain on your air conditioner. That can lead to serious damages over time, or even system failure.
Leave your AC services to the pros here at Goettl Air Conditioning.
