With warm temperatures and high humidity levels throughout much of the year in Atlantic Beach, Florida, your home’s air conditioning system is probably running quite frequently to keep up. Keeping up on regular maintenance of the cooling system can help reduce energy waste and lower your monthly bills. One of the most important HVAC maintenance tasks that you can do yourself is changing the filter regularly.  

Problems Caused by a Dirty Filter

As your HVAC system runs, it pushes air from the house through the ducts and into the furnace or air conditioning unit. After heating or cooling the air, the system pushes it back through the ducts and out through the vents in the various rooms of the house to raise or lower the indoor temperature. As this air moves within the system, it passes through a filter that prevents dirt, pollen, pet hair, dander, and other debris from settling inside the unit. When the filter is clogged and dirty, this can cause a number of problems for your system.

The blower fan has to work harder to move air, resulting in the waste of energy, a valuable and finite resource. Your energy bills go up, putting a strain on your family’s finances. You could also notice that your indoor temperature isn’t very comfortable, even when you’re adjusting the thermostat.

When the ducts are full of debris that the clogged filter couldn’t catch, the system can’t move the air as efficiently, resulting in poor circulation. The system sensors might not register higher temperatures, so they won’t trigger the cooling system to engage.

Mold Growth

Another risk of a dirty filter is mold growth. As debris accumulates on the filter, mold can grow and cause spores to move throughout the system and into the air you breathe, lowering the indoor air quality. Mold allergies can lead to unpleasant symptoms like congestion, sore throats, and headaches.

For additional HVAC maintenance service, contact Ocean State Air Conditioning & Heating at (904) 574-5619.

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