Spring Cleaning Tip: Change Your Air Filter

3/21/2015

While spring is most known for its warm temperatures, brightly-colored flowers, and green grass, it is also synonymous with allergy season – runny noses, coughing, headaches. These are just a few of the things we all have in common during this time. However, there are some things we can do as homeowners to help make our living environment a healthier and safer place for us allergy-prone people.

One of the easiest things you can do as a homeowner to improve your Indoor Air Quality is through the use of HVAC filters. These filters are designed to “filter” out all the dust and debris particles that work to find their way into your home’s airflow. By grabbing all the harmful stuff in the air, you can breathe easier knowing that your air supply is clean. Being that we spend 90 percent of our time indoors (Yep, you read that right!) having filtered, clean indoor air is extremely important to our health.

These filters can do their job only if they’re cleaned and changed regularly, though. You’ll notice an immediate negative impact in the air quality when you forego changing the filter. Make it a routine to change these filters once a month. If you’ve never changed the filter, or have changed it only a few times, kick April off by beginning anew.

By changing these filters, you’re removing all the dirt and debris that has been collecting. If you’re a guilty homeowner who changes filters sporadically, then you’ll notice it has become corroded. This corrosion will eventually allow for the dust and debris to push through, which then makes its way into your air supply, consequently harming it.

The dust and debris that pass through your filter will also gather in your air duct system, polluting your indoor air even further. As an additional consequence, the dust will collect inside your air vents, which blocks the treated air. And if your filter is clogged enough, your HVAC system might turn itself off as a precautionary measure. If your HVAC system won’t turn on, check your air filter before all else.

If those reasons aren’t good enough, let’s talk about money. Foregoing air filter changes will cause your utility bills to rise. Since dust and debris have blocked your filter, your air conditioner is now having to work even harder in order to provide you with cool air. In short, changing your filters regularly will save you money!

So, to sum it all up, you need to change your HVAC filters regularly for three reasons:

• Dust and debris is your enemy. They work to push their way through corroded filters, which reduces the air quality inside your home.
• Dust will collect inside your air vents, consequently blocking treated air. You will receive less cool air than you normally would.
• Debris, dirt, and dust block cool air from being able to make its way through into the various rooms of your house. Therefore, your A/C is having to work extra hard so that it can keep your house cool.

Another tip for combatting poor indoor air quality is to have your air ducts cleaned every 5 years or so. Take a peek inside one of your ducts using a flash camera or phone as an aid. If it looks anything like the top picture, call Service Legends right away to make it look like the bottom one.

         

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Heating and Cooling Des Moines Since 1997

At Service Legends, we take pride in heating and cooling Des Moines and the surrounding areas. Our HVAC services include furnace and air conditioner installation, repairs, maintenance, and tune-ups. Our lineup of Indoor Air Quality solutions includes whole-home humidifiers, air purifiers, and air filtration systems. We can even help with HVAC financing.

Call 515-657-6634 to contact our Home Comfort Heroes today. We’re standing by 24/7.

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