When we talk about air conditioning health, whether it’s repairs or maintenance, we tend to focus on things that only professionals can do for your system. That does cover most things that can help keep your air conditioner healthy. However, there is at least one way that you can personally ensure that your AC system stays in good operating condition. Read on to find out more about your air conditioner’s air filter, why it needs to be changed on a regular basis, and how you can do it.
The Air Filter
The air filter is a simple fiber mesh that sits in the air return duct of the system. All air that flows into the air conditioner passes through the filter first. The filter’s purpose is to protect the air conditioner from the dust and other contaminants that commonly populate the ducts of a home. While the filter is quite good at this job, it does not have any way to rid itself of the contaminants it collects from the ducts. If the filter is not changed on a regular basis, it will eventually become clogged.
A clogged air filter will block most of the airflow from entering the air conditioner. This lowers the output of the system significantly, decreasing both the efficiency of the air conditioner and your own comfort levels in the process. This is why it’s so important to keep your air filter clean.
How to Change the Air Filter
You now know how important your air filter is, and you want to change it every three months. How do you do that? Well, first you’re going to want to look at your air conditioner and locate the air return duct. That’s the duct that connects the air conditioner to the rest of the ductwork. Somewhere on the return duct, there should be a cover or latch of some kind that covers the current filter. Open it and pull out the old filter. Make sure you make note of which direction the arrows on the rim of the filter are pointing, as that’s going to become important in a minute. Once the old filter is removed, slide the new filter into place. Make sure that the arrows on the new filter are pointing in the same direction as the arrows on the old filter were. Once that’s done, all you need to do is close the cover.
That’s it! All you need to do to make sure that your air conditioner’s filter doesn’t get clogged is to change it out once every three months or so while you’re using it. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by doing this on a regular basis, so make sure you keep at it.
Sunset Air offers comprehensive air conditioning tune-up services in Centralia, WA. If you need help with your air conditioner, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians. We’ll make sure that you get the most out of your air conditioner.
