Your air conditioner’s filters are a crucial yet underrated component of your cooling unit. It removes contaminants such as smoke, pollen, grease, and dust to improve your property’s indoor air quality. 

They also protect your system against larger objects that can damage your cooling unit or cause fires. Every reputable air conditioning service strongly recommends regularly changing your cooling system’s filters to reduce the risk of an HVAC failure, debris buildup, and poor indoor air quality. 

As Bradenton, Florida’s local expert for air conditioning services, we’ll discuss why you should change your cooling unit’s filters regularly. We’ll also explain the effects of a dirty air filter and when to change them. 

Why Should You Change Your AC’s Filters

Like other fully functioning machines, your cooling unit needs regular maintenance and cleaning to create a more comfortable home. Here are three reasons to regularly change your air conditioner’s filters. 

1. Improve Indoor Air Quality

The best way to provide excellent indoor air quality is to change your cooling unit’s filters. This regular maintenance can benefit everyone, especially those more prone to severe respiratory illnesses. It can also help people sleep better at night. 

3. Boost Home Efficiency

Air conditioning service technicians also strongly recommend regularly changing your cooling unit’s filters to increase your home’s efficiency and reduce energy bills. 

3. Extend Your System’s Lifespan

It’s also best to change them regularly to prolong your cooling unit’s lifespan to save money on costly repairs or replacements. 

5 Effects of Dirty Filters

This section will discuss the effects of neglecting your air conditioner’s dirty filters. 

1. Increased Energy Bills

Higher energy bills can be stressful for most homeowners. When you don’t clean your air conditioner’s filters, the blower fan in your system will work harder to cool your home. And this can lead to higher energy bills. 

A dirty filter will also cause your system to malfunction from the strain.

2. Increased Risk of Malfunctioning 

When your cooling unit works harder to provide cold air, it will increase your system’s risk of overheating or freezing up. Not changing your dirty air filters also means paying the same price for your gas or oil bills and will give you an uncomfortable home. 

3. Enable Bacteria or Mold Growth 

Neglecting the health hazards in your cooling system can cost expensive repairs and medical bills. The dirt in your air conditioner’s filters can provide a breeding ground for moisture, thus encouraging harmful bacteria or mold growth. 

Bacteria and mold can harm your health, especially if you’re prone to respiratory illnesses. It can also form an enormous barrier for smooth air circulation and pollute your indoor air quality if they end up inside your air conditioning system. 

4. Poor Ventilation 

Dirty filters mean improper indoor ventilation, and poor ventilation means more discomfort for your home. A malfunctioning cooling unit’s temperature sensors may not register the required temperature to signal the system to power down.

This problem will eventually be an expensive mistake and strain your fan motor.

5. Dirtier Home

The air will only circulate when you clean your air conditioner’s filters. Dirty filters will lead to particles settling in ducts and on household surfaces instead of entering the system to filter the air. While changing your air filter can cost money, it’s cheaper than scheduling a duct cleaning. 

When to Change Your Air Filter

Air filters are usually inexpensive, and easy to remove the old filers and slide in the new ones. We recommend changing them every one or two months, especially if you have pets or live in polluted areas.

Keeping Cool and Clean

Your air filters need extra love because they provide excellent indoor air quality and protect your home from harmful pollutants. Air conditioning services recommend changing them regularly to ensure a comfortable and efficient home. 

Suttner Cooling & Heating offers professional air conditioning services in Bradenton, Florida. We have you covered if you need to install, repair, or maintain your cooling unit. Contact us now to enjoy a cooler and more comfortable home!