It is nearly impossible to imagine a contemporary American home or office without an air conditioning unit. We are just used to a certain level of air quality and air temperature and we don’t want to change.
However, having an AC unit in your home means that you also have to maintain it. Except occasionally air conditioning preemptive maintenance and repair, there was a problem cleaning your air filter. HVAC technicians and people who work in the field will tell you that you need to clean or replace your air filter every month or so.
They have good reasons for that; Your air filter stops all kinds of particles from recirculating into the air, but it is only effective if the filter is clean.
Here’s your air filter after a month or so of service.
Volatile organic compounds
Many of the products we use every day contain VOCs. These compounds usually disappear harmlessly and have no real negative effect on us. However, if you decide not to clean the air filter and continue to use the air conditioning unit, the same VOCs can be recirculated throughout your home multiple times.
If not allowed to dissipate naturally, these compounds can cause many unpleasant if not too dangerous health problems such as nausea and dizziness. However, if you use this chemical extensively, you run the risk of more severe effects such as lung and eye irritation.
Mushrooms and Mushrooms
If your home has excess moisture in the air or on surfaces like walls and ceilings, there’s a good chance it could be happening You may develop a mold problem. It is a problem that you need to deal with as soon as possible because the spores that the mold produces can have allergic properties and can irritate your respiratory organs. Moreover, black mold is poisonous in addition to its allergic properties.
All the spores from mold and mildew are caught by your air conditioning unit’s air filter, but only up to a certain point, when it’s time to replace or clean it. If you fail to do so, you may find yourself without protection from mold.
Common House Dust
The largest percentage of house dust consists of dead skin cells and our hair. If you have pets, they contribute to the amount of dust in your home. Air filters are good at keeping that dust out, but once full, they not only lose the capacity to catch more dust, but become a hindrance to the proper functioning of the entire A/C system.
You may find that your air conditioner is not working as effectively as it used to. You can contact an HVAC repair technician to take a look at your unit, but before doing so, be sure to check if your air filter needs to be replaced.
Germs
Finally, among all the other particles that your air filter catches, there are some compounds that can become quite fertile breeding grounds for bacteria and other germs. These bacteria can then easily be recirculated into the air in your home. If you don’t replace or clean the air filter, you won’t be able to eliminate the cause of the problem, and you may have persistent or recurring health problems.
Keeping your air conditioner filter clean and fresh may seem tedious, but it is a very easy task and the benefits of doing it regularly are many and tangible. An added benefit is that you will probably extend the life of your AC unit and prevent damage.
