It is estimated that the average American spends almost 90% of their time indoors. Whether it be at work, home, or at the grocery store nearly all of us spend most of our days indoors. Unfortunately, the EPA estimates that most indoor air contains 70% more pollutants that outdoor air, making poor indoor air quality one of the top five public health risks.
During the warm summer weather most homes and businesses run an air conditioner to keep the inside temperature tolerable. Air conditioning units have an air filter inside that is meant to capture particles and pollutants that are flying around the air. These filters should be changed on a frequent and regular basis, whether they “look” dirty or not.
Some of the benefits to maintaining this regular schedule of changing your air conditioner’s filter include:
Improved indoor air quality. The job of your air filter is to keep the air inside of your house free of mold, dust, pollen, and other pollutants, many of which aggravate the symptoms of allergies and asthma. Changing your home’s air filter monthly will ensure that the level of contaminants in your indoor air stays low to none.
Improved Efficiency. If the air filter in your air conditioner is dirty and left unchanged, the air flow of the unit will slow down and your system will need to work harder to keep the temperature cool. This inefficiency is not only hard on your system putting it at risk for breakdown, but it is also costing you money as additional resources are used unnecessarily.
Improved longevity. Not only does the air filter work to keep the air inside of your home clean, it also works to keep the inside of your air conditioning unit clean. The US Department of Energy states that neglecting your air conditioner and allowing dirt and dust to accumulate inside is the most common cause for breakdown.
The manufacturer of your air conditioning unit has a recommendation for the frequency with which the air filter should be changed. It is essential that you change your air filter based on these recommendations to ensure the proper function of your system and quality of your indoor air.