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Your HVAC system can be the most dangerous system in your house.
An HVAC system works by drawing in air and then forcing that air throughout a home through any number of ducts and vents. However, in some cases, that air can be filled with pollutants.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, those pollutants can include particulates from many sources. These sources include cleaning products, pollen, tobacco products, any material containing asbestos, and appliances that burn fuel. All of these are potential sources of trouble.
These pollutants move around the home thanks to the HVAC system. The contaminants cause health issues and can irritate the eyes and throat, as well as causing fatigue. Potential problems can also include long-term issues such as debilitating respiratory diseases.
Best Ways To Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Old Saybrook CT
Usually, a lot of these pollutants are stopped by your HVAC filters.
They act as a barrier between the compound parts of the system and the air input, where the particulates are caught in the filter. Advanced HVAC systems include an additional filter for the air exhaust, which also prevents the particulates from being forced back into the house. However, these filters need to be replaced every so often.
What You Need To Know About Air Filter Basics
Most homeowners recognize that they should replace the filters regularly, but there is the question of how often. The problem is that the exact answer can vary from home to home and that many factors need to be considered to ensure that proper air quality is met.
The first factor is the quality of the filter. All filters come with a label that includes a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). The higher the MERV, the better it is at filtering pollutants out of the air. However, there is also the potential it can slow down airflow, and most HVAC systems require a certain degree of airflow to work correctly.
Using a filter recommended by the original manufacturer ensures better quality as it is less likely to slow down airflow and therefore create problems for your HVAC system.
The Kind Of Air Filter You Use Matters
Make sure that the filter panel is compatible with the HVAC system of your home. Also, this is one area that you do not want to cut corners. You don’t want to buy the cheapest filter you can find. A cheaper filter means that you will likely need to replace the filters more often and therefore the filters can cost more over time than a better quality filter.
Replacing Your HVAC Filter: Frequency
In general, the more use that the filters get, the sooner that they should be changed. If you have several furry pets or live in an area with a large number of particulates such as dust or airborne pollutants, then you should change the filters more often. If you have severe allergies, this may not be a bad idea to limit allergens. On the other hand, if you hardly ever run your HVAC systems because you live in a temperate region, you should only need to change them out in the spring and fall when the amount of indoor pollutants spike. Vacation homes can get away with changing the filters less frequently.
Please note that “furry pets” can include not just the obvious large, fluffy dogs. It can include any number of pets including birds and reptiles. Pet owners with many pets can benefit from having frequent filter replacements.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to check your filter on a frequent basis and replace them when they appear dirty.
In Summary
Besides avoiding the potential health issues, changing filters can save you up to 15%, according to the US Department of Energy. Your home’s HVAC system does not need to push against the wall of dirt in the filter, thereby, reducing your home’s heating or cooling costs.
Wilcox Energy has NATE-certified HVAC contractors on staff that can help you with your HVAC system.
We offer affordable and reliable HVAC services that can improve indoor air quality and the general energy efficiency of the home. Please call Wilcox Energy and schedule an appointment so we can start helping you today.
Some of the areas we service include Deep River, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and these zip codes: 06417, 06371, 06475, 06498, as well as all surrounding areas in the Southern Shores Of Connecticut.
For more information about our HVAC services, be sure to contact Wilcox Energy. You can click here to contact us or you can call us at (860) 399-6218 to find out more. We offer a full line of heating and cooling repairs, maintenance services, and installations.