With only a brief and mild winter to interrupt the warm temperatures in Florida, residential air conditioners do an immense amount of work around the year. Now that we’re moving into spring weather and ACs are steadily running once more, it’s a good time to remind you that you must change or clean your air conditioner’s filter once a month.
(If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out our post on this from a few months ago. You can always ask a professional technician for assistance if you’re still unsure about how to change/clean the filter. During the AC’s spring maintenance tune-up is the best time to learn about how the filter works and how you can care for it.)
Why It’s Important That You Keep Up with Air Filter Maintenance
There are a number of reasons that you need to stay on top of regular maintenance changes or cleanings. Below are the main ones:
- Protect system energy efficiency: An air conditioner draws warm air through the return air ducts with a blower fan and then sends this air through the evaporator coils, where the coils cool down the air for use in the rest of the home. But the fan cannot effectively draw air through the return ducts if the filter is clogged, and as a result the AC will drain more power than necessary. This will lead to escalating energy bills.
- Stop icing along the coils: If the AC cannot draw enough warm air across the evaporator coils, the refrigerant in the coils will remain too cold, which will create ice formation. Ice will seriously impair the coils’ ability to absorb heat and lead to a drop in cooling power.
- Prevent debris from entering the cabinet: The main purpose of the air filter is to protect the interior components of the AC from damage from debris that enters through the return air ducts. But if the filter becomes heavily congested, debris will start to get in, and this can lead to motors burning out and other problems.
If you are looking for assistance for your air conditioning this spring, no matter what it is, call Southeast Air & Heat Orlando, FL.
