Air Conditioner Filters Guide: Why You Need To Maintain Your Air Conditioner Filters

In an effort to keep your home clean and safe one our more recent concerns has become keeping the air in our home clean. An air conditioner filter can be one of the instrumental tools for maintaining good air quality in your home. But both the quality of the air filter and the way you maintain it can have a significant effect on keeping allergies, respiratory problems and skin disorders at bay.

Sadly air pollution inside the home can be just as big of a menace as the air pollution outside, sometimes even worse. It is important to clean or replace your air conditioner filters regularly to ensure free, unpolluted, clean air in the home.

It is known that the air pollution at home is a big problem, and it can have greater repercussions on your health than the outside air in some cases. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental risks to public health.

In a typical home, there are many contaminants that circulate within the confines of a room and do not mix with the outside air, leading to allergies. Since we spend most of our time indoors when we are at home, there is no doubt that we are exposed to air pollution which is two to four times higher than normal outdoor levels of pollution. The film of thin dust gathers on book shelves and the little speck of dust granules gathering on the TV cabinet is just a minuscule part of the air pollution that is permeating in your room. Pet dander, smoke, dust mites, pollen etc. are all part of this mix of air pollution that can trigger allergies and various other health concerns.

Air conditioning air filters are crucial components of central air conditioning systems because they are involved in air exchange, cleaning and regulating the quality of the air that is circulated in the room. If the coils or the filter is dirty, the air conditioning system has to work harder which means more electricity will be consumed to exchange the air inside with the one outside. So an efficient filtering system will not only save electricity, increase the longevity of the air conditioning system but also promote good health of your family. Even the best air conditioners lose their efficiency when clogged with dust, so it is imperative to change the air conditioning filter regularly, as stated in the manufacturers instructions.

Having a clogged air conditioner filter can contribute to air pollution inside because the air quality indoors may already be of poor quality and adding unfiltered outdoor air containing more allergens, dust etc can continue to pollute the already stagnant indoor air.  This unclean air can lead to respiratory diseases like bronchitis, asthma and skin problems like eczema.

Problems like headache and fever also arise due to polluted air inside the house. It goes without saying that if you do not change your air conditioning filter often enough, it can become clogged with dust and then it can worsen the air pollution in your home. The air borne particles instead of moving to the air conditioning filter, where it is captured, filtered and removed from the air; mix with the dust already clogged in the filter and begin to float in the air, triggering allergies and respiratory problems.

Well managed, fully functioning air conditioner filters go a long way toward lessening or preventing these health problems, by maintaining the quality of air. If your air conditioner filter is in good working condition, it will filter out small particles and allergens so that your house will have cleaner air. Changing your central air conditioner filter regularly will help you with health issues like blocked nose, sneezing, cough and fever. More than just investing in high quality air conditioning filters; it important to change them regular for effective and efficient air filtration.

But to take it a step further you may want to look into specialized air filters that will remove even more of the particles in the air.   HEPA filters, pleated filters, electronic air filters and electrostatic air filters do a better job of removing those minuscule particles than many of your standard air filters.

The decision to change your air conditioning filter can depend upon the number of family members you have. It depends on the kind of activities that you have in your home, the pets, plants and trees around the home etc. If you are unsure whether or not it's time to change it you can always check to see if your air conditioning filter is filled with dust, if it is you know it's time to change it. The period between changing air conditioner air filters can be anywhere between once a month to once every three months.

While buying air conditioner filters, go for the pleated ones with ridges. Pleated air filters have a higher surface area than a standard filter. Make it a point to monitor the condition of the filter, and change it before it gets clogged. You can even write the date on the filter, which will help you make the decision about when to change it next.