Some homeowners balk at the cost of regular air filter replacements, and there is a lot of misinformation floating around that suggests that changing them really isn’t all that important. But the fact is that regularly changing your air filters is equally important for both your HVAC system and your indoor air quality, and the cost of replacement filters is insignificant compared to the potential savings.
Since we’ve already mentioned savings, lets start there. Changing your air filters saves you money because your furnace (or air conditioner) has to work extra hard to blow air through a dirty filter. This leads to increased energy use and higher utility bills. Changing the filter on a regular basis eliminates this needless expense.
Making sure your equipment always has a clean filter is also a useful preventative measure to lessen the likelihood of HVAC problems down the road. In furnaces, for example, once a filter becomes so clogged it can’t catch any more dust, the excess particles can make their way into the furnace itself. They settle in places like the fan motor, burner and heat exchanger. Over time, this buildup can cause costly damage to your furnace.
If these reasons aren’t enough, consider the benefits to your indoor air quality. An air filter’s job is to catch dust, but they can only hold so much. Once filters become dirty and clogged, dust is free to circulate through the air in your house.
Of course, the dust that filters catch includes pollen, mold spores, dust mites, insect waste, pet dander and a host of other irritating and potentially harmful particles. Keeping a clean filter in your HVAC system lets you and your family breathe safer, and is especially beneficial if there is an allergy sufferer in your home.
In most households, air filters should be changed every one to three months. For more information on the importance of changing furnace filters, contact Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating. We’ve been serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area since 1967.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Around the Clock Air Conditioning & Heating services Los Angeles, North Hollywood and the surrounding areas in California. Visit our website to see our current specials and get started today!