{"id":1095,"date":"2021-05-03T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/?p=1095"},"modified":"2021-04-30T11:42:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T15:42:25","slug":"what-need-know-about-air-conditioners-air-filter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/air-conditioning-service\/what-need-know-about-air-conditioners-air-filter\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know About Your Air Conditioner\u2019s Air Filter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"air-filter\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Homeowners often think that the only reason they need to be concerned about the air filter in their HVAC system is for their indoor air quality needs: to keep out allergens and other particles. But this is only part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to assume that a dirty air filter is an issue because it keeps the indoor air dirty. Maybe this is why technicians tell you to change yours every 1\u20133 months? Well, not quite. In fact, you may not even be suffering from allergies or poor indoor air quality, but you\u2019ll still need to change this air filter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of this air filter is to protect the air conditioner <\/em>from particles that can get inside, not to protect your breathable air. AC air filters certainly don\u2019t hurt your IAQ efforts, but they don\u2019t do a whole lot to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

A Dirty Air Filter Will Still Hurt Your Comfort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The air filter we\u2019re talking about is placed between the intake air and your HVAC system. So, a clogged up air filter will actually prevent air from circulating through the air ducts and the vents. Basically, you won\u2019t have enough air to stay cool (or to stay warm, in the case of your forced-air heater). As a result, you\u2019re going to feel less comfortable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice uneven cooling or heating throughout your living space, or if your thermostat says one temperature and you feel like it\u2019s completely different from what it actually is, a clogged air filter may be to blame. But, as we\u2019re about to dive into more, minor discomfort is really the least of your worries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Danger of a Clogged Air Filter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We probably shouldn\u2019t say danger, but a clogged air filter will definitely have detrimental effects on your air conditioner and your overall comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your AC May Leak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way your air conditioner functions is by absorbing heat from the air within your living space. As the refrigerant evaporates within the indoor condenser unit, the evaporator coil absorbs heat from the air blowing over the coil. However, if the air filter is too blocked up with particles and dust, then that warm air is restricted, which can cause the coil to freeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should never <\/em>see ice on your air conditioner. If ice is covering a coil, that coil won\u2019t be able to absorb heat as it should, and your air conditioner won\u2019t be able to do its job. Additionally, as that ice thaws, the water will begin dripping and leaking out of the system, which can cause AC and property damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll See a Spike in Your Energy Bills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an air conditioner\u2019s filter is too blocked up, the blower fan has to run longer and harder to bring in the right amount of air to your living space. Swapping out the air filters for clean ones on a regular basis restores proper airflow through the ventilation system and the system will work more efficiently, keeping your utility bills at a level they should be at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For professional indoor air quality and HVAC services in Sacramento<\/a>, CA, reach out to Sierra Pacific Home & Comfort, Inc.<\/a>: The Guys in the Big Red Trucks!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The AC air filter isn’t actually meant to protect your indoor air quality, but it does have this very important purpose\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[70],"tags":[135,9],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1095"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1095"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1100,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1095\/revisions\/1100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapacifichome.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}