A dirty air filter may sound relatively harmless, but if ignored for too long, it can leave you with high energy bills and even damaged air conditioner components. With all the use your A/C gets during our area’s hot summers, your filter can pick up a lot of debris and requires careful attention.
A layer of dust and debris on your air filter restricts the flow of air into your A/C system. When your system doesn’t get the amount of airflow for which it was designed, a number of problems can occur.
- Higher energy bills — A dirty air filter forces your blower fan motor to work harder in order to pull in the required airflow. That can cut your system’s efficiency by five to 15 percent, leaving you with unnecessarily high electric bills.
- Impaired performance — Without enough warm air flowing across your indoor evaporator coil, the system cools less effectively. Worse yet, the coil can become too cold and eventually ice up. You’ll then need to turn off the A/C to let it defrost.
- Component damage — When your motor is overworked due to impaired airflow, it doesn’t just use more energy, it also runs harder and is more likely to fail early. If your air filter becomes dirty enough to completely stop airflow, the motor may burn out. Repeated ice formation strains both your evaporator coil and your compressor, leading to early failure.
- Poor indoor air quality — A dirty air filter can become a breeding ground for mold, which releases its lung-irritant spores into the air you breath. If the filter becomes clogged, incoming debris particles can push out debris already in the filter, allowing air contaminants to enter your duct system and then your home’s air.
To avoid these problems, inspect your air filter monthly and replace it if you see a layer of debris buildup.
Contact us at Bradbury Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning and we’ll be happy to help you with air conditioner and furnace maintenance, repair or replacement. We proudly serve Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, Shenandoah, Spring, The Woodlands, Tomball and the surrounding areas.
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