The Importance of Regularly Changing Your AC Filter

close up of an AC air filter to demonstrate the importance of changing your AC filter regularly

Maintaining a comfortable and healthy home environment is essential, especially during the hot summer months. One crucial aspect of this is ensuring your air conditioning system is running efficiently. A key component that often gets overlooked is changing your AC filter regularly.

Understanding Why Changing Your AC Filter Regularly Matters

Discover how changing your AC filter regularly will positively impact your comfort, health, and wallet:

A close up of an AC filter to demonstrate the importance of why you should be changing your AC filter regularly

Why Changing Your AC Filter Regularly Is Necessary

Your AC filter plays a vital role in maintaining the efficiency of your air conditioning system. It works by trapping dust, dirt, and other airborne particles, preventing them from entering the system and circulating in your home. When the AC filter becomes clogged, it can’t perform its job effectively, leading to several issues.

  1. Improved Air Quality: One of the primary functions of an AC filter is to improve indoor air quality. When the filter is clean, it effectively removes dust, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens from the air. However, a dirty or clogged filter loses its efficiency, allowing these particles to recirculate throughout your home. This can exacerbate allergies and respiratory issues, especially for those with preexisting conditions.
  2. Enhanced System Efficiency: A clean AC filter ensures your air conditioning system runs smoothly and efficiently. When the filter is clogged, the system has to work harder to pull air through, leading to increased energy consumption and higher utility bills. By changing your AC filter regularly, you can help your system run more efficiently, saving you money in the long run. Consider purchasing your next AC filter at Hometown Heating, Air & Electric.
  3. Prevention of System Breakdowns: Neglecting to change your AC filter can lead to more significant problems down the line. A clogged filter can cause the system to overheat, leading to potential breakdowns and costly repairs. Regularly replacing the AC filter helps to prevent these issues, extending the lifespan of your air conditioning unit and ensuring it operates reliably.

How Often You Should Change Your AC Filter

The frequency of changing your filter depends on several factors, including the type of filter, the number of people in your household, and whether you have pets. Here’s how often we’d recommend changing your AC filter, depending on your unique circumstances:

  • Standard Filters: Change every 30-60 days
  • High-Efficiency Filters: Change every 90 days
  • Homes with Pets or Allergies: Change every 20-45 days

Check your AC filter regularly and replace it when it appears dirty or clogged. Doing so ensures your air conditioning system continues to perform optimally.

Why Reusing AC Filters Isn’t Worth It

While it might be tempting to reuse an old AC filter to save money, this practice can lead to several issues. Reused filters are less effective at trapping particles, leading to poor air quality. They can also harbor mold and mildew, which are harmful to your health. Additionally, reused filters can become damaged over time, reducing their efficiency and potentially causing damage to your AC system.

How to Regularly Maintain Your AC Unit

At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we recommend scheduling regular maintenance for your air conditioning system. Our NATE-certified technicians can perform comprehensive tune-ups, including changing your filter, to ensure your system runs efficiently all summer long. We take pride in our meticulous work and strive to exceed your expectations.

Changing your AC filter regularly is a simple yet crucial step in maintaining your home’s comfort and air quality. It improves system efficiency, prevents costly breakdowns, and ensures you breathe cleaner air. Don’t underestimate the importance of this small maintenance task.

By prioritizing regular AC filter changes, you can enjoy a healthier, more comfortable home environment and avoid unnecessary expenses. For professional support and all your HVAC needs, contact Hometown Heating, Air & Electric today. We’re here to keep your home comfortable and your air conditioning system running smoothly.

Breathe Easier: Indoor Air Quality Solutions for Spring

vase of tulips inside, demonstrating how it can look when you apply indoor air quality solutions

As spring arrives, many of us look forward to spending more time outdoors and opening up our homes after a long winter spent mostly indoors. But after months of closed windows and doors, your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ) has likely diminished and needs some attention to restore healthier air. And while poor IAQ can negatively impact your health and wellbeing in numerous ways, often the last thing many people consider are indoor air quality solutions.

At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we want to educate our community with indoor air quality solutions so more people can have healthier homes.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions

In this blog post, we’ll share some valuable tips so you can breathe easier this spring by enhancing your IAQ.

vase of tulips showcasing the inside of a home that has applied indoor air quality solutions

Understand the Common Indoor Air Quality Issues

From pet dander to cooking grease, many pollutants become trapped inside your home over the winter months without proper ventilation. This stale, stagnant air circulates over and over, leading to diminished indoor air quality. In turn, this poor air quality allows allergens, dust, odors, smoke, and germs to build up. This can worsen allergies, asthma, sinuses, and even lead to more illnesses like common colds from the spread of germs in the air.

Use Air Purifiers and Cleaners

A good quality air purifier or cleaner is one of the best defenses against keeping indoor pollutants under control. Air purifiers effectively capture and remove allergens, dust, odors, smoke, pet dander, and other microscopic particles from the air. We recommend running your unit regularly to actively filter and refresh your indoor air and purchasing units properly sized for the square footage of your home for maximum effectiveness.

Add Humidity with a Humidifier

Low humidity levels can dry out your sinuses, skin, and hair. But too much humidity can lead to condensation on windows and the growth of mold and mildew. A humidifier maintains the ideal humidity level between 30-60% to balance better air quality and health. Proper humidity also helps preserve wooden furniture and floors in your home from drying out and cracking.

Ventilate with Fresh Outdoor Air

Finally, let fresh outdoor air in by using your HVAC system’s ventilation setting or by opening windows on nice days. Stale indoor air needs to be changed out regularly. Proper ventilation introduces new outdoor air and can significantly improve overall indoor air quality.

Don’t neglect your IAQ this spring! At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we provide expert installation, maintenance, and repair services to keep your indoor air quality so you can breathe easier all year long.

This spring, consider these indoor air quality solutions by using air purifiers, cleaners, and humidifiers and taking advantage of fresh, outdoor air. Contact us today with any questions about your indoor air quality and how Hometown Heating, Air & Electric can refresh your IAQ this spring.