“Everyone knows” you must change the filters in your heating and cooling units, right? This question may not seem as strange as it sounds. Many times, younger, newer homeowners don’t know that. For many months, and sometimes even longer than a year, the filter goes unchanged, until the air-conditioner, no longer with any airflow, dies a horrible death from suffocation.

Changing Air-Filters is Good for Your Health, and the Health of Your HVAC System

Ok, so dropping the “everyone knows” for the moment, most do know the filter needs changing. But why? Changing the air filters is good for both you and your system’s health.

How does the filter on my air-conditioner or heater affect my health?

Most commonly, those who suffer from allergies are affected by air that is circulated throughout the home by heating and cooling systems. Organic material such as pet dander, dead skins cells and the like get trapped in the filter. Some of those same particles get circulated through the system and forced out into the air where they can cause respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and the like. The air quality indoors can wind up worse than the outdoor air quality if the filter is left too long. On top of that, the organic material buildup, combined with moisture from humidity in the home can lead to mold growth. Exposure to mold can cause chronic cough, wheezing and other respiratory symptoms. Left unchecked, it can lead to a variety of diseases that can make life miserable.

How does the filter on my HVAC system affect its longevity?

Just like a car needs good airflow, so does your furnace and air-conditioning unit. A clogged filter can significantly increase runtime, putting stress on the system components. Additionally, by filtering the air, fewer particles of dirt and dust get in the motor, which can decrease effectiveness, and ultimately lead to motor failure leading to costly repairs.

Conclusion—Regularly changing the air filter on your AC saves money and keeps you healthy.

Whether you are combatting allergies, or just want to save money by reducing costly repair bills, changing the air-filter on your AC system just makes good sense. To further prevent costly breakdowns of your HVAC system, call J and C Services for a clean and check, today!