Changing your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system's air filters is a simple and generally inexpensive step to keep your home and your health in tiptop shape. Unfortunately, some homeowners tend to forget about their air filters, and end up with an expensive and troublesome problem.
If you don't change your air filters regularly -- check them at least once a month, and change them as often, or at least every eight weeks -- your HVAC unit will begin to work harder to push air through clogs in the filter. This raises your utility bill. Additionally, a dirty HVAC filter takes its toll on your heating and cooling unit, because dirt and debris can coat it, rather than getting trapped by the filter. This ultimately shortens the life of this important and expensive piece of equipment. Furthermore, dirty filters increase your carbon footprint. Regularly changing your filters ensures that your HVAC system works efficiently, which reduces your carbon footprint and helps your home run at maximum energy efficiency.
Dirty HVAC air filters allow impurities to slip through the filter and re-contaminate your home’s air. This not only decreases your indoor air quality, but it potentially can increase health issues for you and your loved ones, including respiratory problems, headaches, nausea, and fatigue.
When changing your air filter, consider upgrading older model filters. As technology progresses, so does the ability of HVAC filters to trap particles and contaminates from poisoning your indoor air. Consider choosing the highest efficiency air filter that your HVAC unit’s manufacture recommends.
For more information about air filters and how they improve your home’s efficiency, contact Russell’s Heating & Cooling. We are a family-owned and operated company, and we have provided reliable heating and cooling services for the Hampton Roads area of Southeast Virginia since 1977.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas 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. Image courtesy of Shutterstock