Every homeowner should understand the basics of how their AC works! Knowing your system will help you keep your energy bills low and your home comfy. For this Know Your AC, we will be going over the importance of air filters. Many homeowners forget or neglect to change their air filters, but the filters are one of the most important parts of your AC! Find out how air filters keep your air fresh and your home happy.

How Does an Air Filter Work?

Your air conditioner works by pulling in air from outside, cooling it, then sending it throughout your home. When it pulls the air from outside, it can also grab other things. Outside pollutants like dust, most and allergies gets sent through your ductwork along with the cooled air. This is where the filter comes in. The air filter’s job is to stop all that nasty stuff from reaching you, keeping your air fresh and pollutant free.

Changing Your Filter

After some time, your AC filter gets junked up from all the pollutants it is filtering out of your air. When this happens, you will either need to replace your filter or give it a deep cleaning to hold you off. You should be doing this about once a month. However, many homeowners neglect their filters, and their homes suffer. Not changing out your filter has many negative effects including:

  • Poor air quality
  • Higher energy bills
  • Inconsistent room temperatures
  • Expensive AC repairs
  • Reduced home comfort

These are just some of the reasons why you should be changing your filter. If you want to keep your AC running at peak performance, you need to be looking after your filters.

Buying a Filter

Filters are made of a variety of materials and are rated by efficiency. The minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) goes from 1-20 and is used to rate the filters. Generally for home central air units, you’ll want a filter between 5 and 12 since ratings higher than 12 are generally only used in hospitals and labs.

As for the size, you can check what your unit needs by looking at your old filter. There should be a size listed on the side of the old filter. Just buy a new one with the same dimensions; pop it in and you’re ready to go!

Keeping Your Home Fresh

A clean air filter only helps out so much! The rest of your system needs to be clean to work its best. Having an experienced AC technician clean your unit is the best way to keep your entire home feeling fresh. Call One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Clearwater at (727) 245-0378 today and find out how an AC cleaning can improve your home!