A dirty air filter can have a major impact on the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling system. It restricts the flow of cold air, causing it to accumulate inside the air conditioner and reducing the internal temperature. Over time, that cold air buildup can cause ice to form on the coils. When air filters become clogged and dirty, they begin to allow dust and debris to pass through the ventilation system into your home, creating more dust, leaving a film on all surfaces and re-circulating that same dust and grime through the system over and over again.
A clear sign that the air conditioning filter needs to be replaced is when the back of the unit is too hot. If the filter is very dirty, you may feel warm air coming out the back of the unit. A clogged filter forces the air conditioner to work harder to keep the house cool, leading to more frequent repairs and ultimately shortening the life of the unit. To reduce this load, it's important to change your AC filter regularly.
As a result of the build-up, a dirty filter will also cause poor cold air flow in the air conditioning system. That cold air will be trapped inside the air conditioner, causing ice to form on your coils. Once that happens, the air conditioner will freeze and stop working. However, before your system completely freezes, there will be some telltale signs that you should be aware of.
Uneven cooling throughout your home is one of them. If you notice that some rooms are more difficult to cool than others, while others feel cold constantly, you'll want to check your air conditioning filter first. Fans push air through the filter, so if it becomes too clogged with dust, dander and debris, then the blower has to work harder to pass air through a clogged filter. With reduced airflow, you may experience hot and cold spots in your home, and it can be difficult to reach the desired indoor temperature levels. When the air filter is clogged, the air handler must try harder to compensate for the blockage of the air flow.
From sizes to types, qualities and more, here's everything you might need to know about air filters: they help your heating and cooling system do its job efficiently and protect it so it lasts longer. With less airflow through the system due to clogging, the central air conditioning and heating system will work longer in an effort to heat the house, which will increase energy use. Particulate capture efficiency increases as filter becomes dirty; build-up on fibers reduces air openings and allows filter to capture more particulates. To change the temperature in your home, the heating and air conditioning system sucks air from one room, places it on coils to heat or cool it, and then blows the warm air through ducts into other rooms of your home. An air filter that is not replaced on a regular basis will become clogged with large amounts of airborne particles.
One of its purposes is to filter out all microscopic particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, plant spores and mold and even smoke. A clogged air filter will allow all this dust and debris that needs to be filtered to circulate back into your home. So why not protect and preserve these expensive systems that heat and cool your home while keeping your family comfortable during unbearably hot summers and blistering cold winters? Changing your home's air filter is one of the simplest and most effective ways to do it. If you install a new filter but don't turn on the heating or air conditioning until a month or two later, then it should be relatively clean as no forced airflow has occurred yet. According to Diamond Certified Organization, a clogged oven air filter is one of main causes of equipment failure. So if you notice that your AC isn't cooling as it normally does or you're blowing hot air then check your AC filter first! Protecting your AC unit by changing its filter regularly can help keep it running efficiently for years.
