If you use a combined heating and cooling (HVAC) system, or you use a heating-only system that circulates warm air throughout your home, you should take good care of the system to make sure it works efficiently. You can do basic maintenance on your system by changing the air filter from time to time.
There are three main reasons why you need to do this:
a) It improves the air quality in your rooms.
b) It reduces energy consumption by improving efficiency.
c) It helps to avoid system breakdowns.
Air quality
Authorities like the EPA and the American Lung Association emphasize the importance of having clean air in the home. The air we breathe is naturally full of contaminants like dust, pollen, plant matter, animal and human skin cells, molds and bacteria. These contaminants can cause respiratory problems, or induce allergic reactions.
Normal household activities, such as brushing or vacuuming, cooking, washing clothes and so on, will raise the level of contaminants in the air. When windows and doors are fully closed, as they would normally be when you are running your heating or cooling system, there is no way for the polluted air to escape.
Fortunately, there are various types of filters used in HVAC and warm air systems that help to reduce the level of contamination in the air. The problem is that the dirt that is extracted can lead to a clogged air filter. A clogged air filter will no longer function properly to clean the household air.
Energy consumption
If you overlook changing the air filter as recommended by the heating system manufacturer, your system will end up having to work harder to deliver the same hot or cold air levels. This means the system will be burning more fuel, which will result in your fuel bills being higher.
System breakdowns
Apart from being less efficient in terms of energy consumption and cleaning the air, filters that are dirty put an additional strain on the heating or cooling system. This will result in a shorter lifespan for the components that make up the system. If a critical component fails, then your system will breakdown completely. That is another reason why you should check your air filter’s condition at the appropriate intervals.
Changing filters
Your HVAC supplier can show you how to do this. It is usually a fairly simple task, and does not require any special tools. You need to use only the types of filters that your system’s manufacturer recommends. If you have any doubts about this, you should contact your HVAC supply or service company.