New Season, New Air Filters, And Keep Them Fresh
Posted by Paul Wadsworth on Fri, May 27, 2011 @ 11:08 AM
The U.S. Environmental Agency places low indoor air quality among the top-five most dangerous health hazards in the United States. That’s why indoor air filters are important to preserving your health and maintaining your equipment.
Did you know the average U.S. home contains about 40 pounds of
dust for every 1,500 square feet? If your air filters are clogged, they aren’t able to clean your indoor air as thoroughly as they should, enabling dust to accumulate on household surfaces and waft through the air in your living space. Not all dust is large enough for the eye to see, but you can be sure that where dust is visible there are also microscopic contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and mold spores.
Air filters capture pollutants such as dust, microorganisms and other toxins, keeping these particles out of your air in your home and preventing dirt from building up in your HVAC system. Over time this debris naturally clogs your air filters, which decreases circulation throughout your home, lowers indoor air quality and makes your HVAC system run inefficiently.
Clogged air filters mean air can’t pass through as easily as the system was designed for. This means your HVAC system is using more energy -- and costing you more money -- than necessary.
How often do your air filters need to be replaced? There is no “one size fits all” answer, because every HVAC system is different. Some air filters need to be replaced every month, while some can go all season. Ask your professional HVAC technician for his recommendation for your home and filter. The start of the cooling season is a perfect time to get a new, fresh air filter and to begin the good habit of checking the filter regularly.
If you’d like to learn what air filters are best for your system and how often they should be changed, call P.K. Wadsworth. We’re happy to help homeowners in the Cleveland area make their homes cleaner and healthier. Check future blog posts about why the filter that comes with the furnace may not be right for you or why the whiz bang filter you bought at the hardware store could destroy your equipment.
P.K. Wadsworth provides indoor comfort solutions to make homes and workplaces comfortable, healthy, and safe. Please contact us to find out how we can make your home or workplace comfortable.
Photo credit: Ivy Dawned
