Understanding Why Your AC Filters Are Quickly Getting Dirty With A Reliable Heating And AC Repair Technician | San Antonio, TX
The primary purpose of an air conditioning unit in your San Antonio, TX home is to provide you with the right temperature during the highly changing weather seasons and to ensure that you get clean, breathing air that will suit you and your family. With this in mind, the air filter is the main component responsible for removing all the particles from your breathing air before it is recirculated in your home. Therefore, the air filter in your system tends to get dirty over time, necessitating it to be changed by a heating and AC repair technician. If your air filter gets dirty quickly, it is crucial that you consult your technician to understand how long it should take to replace the air filter and what to look out for.
Reasons for Air Filters to Get Dirty Quickly
Increase in the Number of People
When purchasing an air conditioning unit, a heating and AC repair technician will advise on the size of the unit depending on your San Antonio, TX home size and the number of people in the household. This is because the system’s capacity is dependent on these two factors. Increasing the number of people in your home may lead to a rise in airborne contaminants trapped in the air filters. In addition, the number of times your breathing air goes through the air conditioning system increases due to the rise of people in the house. Therefore, when you increase the number of people in your home for an extended time, you should consult a qualified heating and AC repair technician on how frequently you should change your air filters.
Temperature Concerns
The temperature difference is the other factor that majorly impacts how fast your air filter gets dirty, according to heating and AC repair technicians. If the temperatures outside are higher or lower than usual, it could contribute to the air filter getting dirty faster. The reason behind this is that the particle build-up on the air filter is highly influenced by the amount of air going through your furnace and the air conditioning unit. Therefore, with the high and low-temperature fluctuation, the unit must constantly work to ensure that your house has a regular conducive temperature.
Consequently, this increases the number of air circulations through the system, which increases particle build-up in the air filter. A heating and AC repair technician will advise you to change your air filter at least once a month during the high and low-temperature seasons. You can also change the air filter at the beginning and end of every season, which will help with the overall airflow.
Pets in the House
Pets are good companions; some are a man’s best friend. However, having pets in your home can increase the contaminants in your home’s air. Notably, pets are one of the primary reasons why air filters get dirty faster. For example, when you have cats or dogs in your home, their fur will lose and eventually find its way into the air filters. Therefore, a heating and AC repair technician should change your air filters at least once a month if you have indoor pets.
Construction or Remodeling
Construction and remodeling are significant ways to improve your property’s outlook, appeal, and value. But the process involved with construction or remodeling, such as removing or adding tiles, carpeting, and drywall, can cause your house to have many contaminants in the air, such as dust particles and other debris. These materials in your breathing air finally find their way into the air filters when your air is being cleaned. Consequently, your air filters will clog up faster than the anticipated time. Therefore, a qualified heating and AC repair technician should change the dirty air filters after completing the construction and remodeling project to protect the overall air condition unit.
The Fan is in ‘On’ Mode.
The thermostat comes with an ‘auto’ or an ‘on’ system that sets the fan to either setting. When your thermostat is set to ‘on,’ the fan will constantly run despite your home’s temperature. Consequently, your home’s airflow will continuously go through the air filter throughout, which will, in turn, cause particles to build up much sooner. Therefore, if you like your fan in this setting, it is advisable to have a heating and AC repair technician in San Antonio, TX change your filters more frequently than expected to avoid straining your air conditioning unit.
Replacing Air Filters
Having outlined the factors that accelerate the rate of your air filter getting dirty, the next important step is to outline the basics of changing an air filter. Notably, the rate of an air filter replacement is highly dependent on the MERV rating of the air filter. For an air filter with a higher MERV rating, you need to replace it more frequently. The MERV rating is allocated based on the amount of air contaminants that the air filter can trap. The different types of air filters and the frequency of changing them include;
Fiberglass
This type is made from spun fiberglass and is an inch thick. Thus, the fiberglass filters should be changed once a month.
Pleated
The pleated filters are made from polyester or paper. Notably, they have varying widths. It would be best if you change these filters every three to six months.
Electrostatic
An electrostatic filter is washable and thus does not need to be changed. You can devise a schedule to wash or vacuum them every month to help with the overall airflow of your home.
HEPA
The HEPA filters need to be replaced by the heating and AC repair technician yearly to 18 months. They are primarily found in air purifying systems.
The comfort of your home mainly depends on the effectiveness of your air conditioning unit. Contact us at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio for a reputable air conditioning service.
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