Hello. My name is Max. My wife and I have five children who all live at with us in our large two-story house. My wife and two of our kids suffer from severe allergies which means keeping our home as dust-free as possible. I have learned that it’s crucial to keep our heating and air conditioning units properly maintained at all times. We have a fantastic HVAC company that comes out two times a year to perform routine maintenance on our system. They have taught me what I can do on a monthly basis in order to not only help with my family’s health but also keep our system running efficiently. I would like to share some of the tips I’ve been given. I hope you find this to be useful!
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Maintaining Your Heating and Air Conditioning Units
Air Filter Replacement Steps & Signs Of Trouble
Kristin Pierce
You might have just installed your air conditioning system, and you may want to know how to maintain it. While most maintenance should be handled by your air conditioning specialist, there is still one maintenance task you can take care of, which is replacing your air filter. This guide will show you a few signs of trouble regarding your filter (which can affect the functionality of your AC and your health) and an easy guide to change your own air filter.
Getting To Know Your AC's Air Filter
Your air filter should be replaced every one to three months, and you can follow the steps below to change your air filter:
- Purchase the air filter according to your owner's manual, although most experts recommend any MERV rating higher than 8.
- Look for your air conditioner's ceiling latch, which is usually somewhere in the midsection of your home, like your hallway.
- Use a small ladder to reach the latch, and unscrew it. Carefully open it, and remove the old air filter.
- Put your new air filter in, and close the latch.
You can always have an air conditioning system specialist, like those at HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric, deal with this maintenance task if you're uncomfortable doing it on your own.
Signs Of Trouble
You might experience some of the following if you fail to replace your air filter:
Functionality Signs
- It might take longer for your AC to change your home to your desired temperature.
- Your electric bill might increase because your AC is working harder to satisfy your temperature needs.
- Your evaporator coils might freeze, which could damage them; this could force your AC to stop. The evaporator coils are outside and look like a thin fence.
Health Signs
- Unexplained headaches, which could be long-lasting or frequent.
- Coughing, usually a dry cough, due to the dust or dry air.
- Sore throat or an itchy throat.
- Your chest could feel tight, or you may have trouble breathing.
- Eyes might feel either too dry and itchy or too watery.
- You might experience frequent colds or cold-like symptoms that are unexplained.
- Bronchitis might occur in some cases.
- Those of you in your family who have asthma might be susceptible to attacks.
- Mold spores could infect the lungs in extreme cases, which might have detrimental health consequences.
But, as you can see, it is very important that you keep your air conditioning system in good condition for the good of you, your family, and guests.
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