What May Happen When You Forget to Change Your Air Conditioning Filters
By Dave Thinel
So the end of summer is almost upon us, a beak from the endless heat. Your air conditioner has been chugging away for three or four months and you haven't touched it. If you are lucky there have been no breakdowns.
Have you remembered to change the filter? If not, you may have created several problems that could be easily avoided with inexpensive air filters. Those problems will likely need the attention of a repair technician.
Let's suppose you haven't changed the filter in months and when you look at it you see caked on dirt and the filter is collapsing from the suction. If this is the case you probably have an inexpensive filter. How can we tell? The cardboard frame around the perimeter is less rigid with the cheap filters.
The nest time you visit the store check out the filters they have available. If you are in a major home improvement center you will likely see a wide selection. Looking at the frames and feeling the stiffness of them should make it easier to tell which are better made.
So back to the problem with your collapsed and dirty filter. As the filter begins to collapse the frame becomes distorted and pulls away from the surface of the housing. As the filter continues to get dirtier it pulls away even more.
As this distortion continues some air will be pulled through the filter but an increasing amount will pass between the frame and the housing. This air is nolonger being filtered, at all.
The unfiltered air is now being drawn into the evaporator along with the dirt it contains. Since the evaporator is cold and wet some of that dirt will land and stick to it. Some will cling to the inside surfaces of the ductwork, the rest will be pumped back into your home.
The evaporator will need to be cleaned if there is any hope of returning the systems efficiency. The duct work may also need to be cleaned especially if anyone in the home has allergy problems. Leaving them dirty will increase the chance of creating a mold farm.
If the evaporator is not cleaned the system will use more electricity since it will have to run longer to cool the home. That's the best case. A worst case it the system will freeze up and not be able to cool at all.
Both of these scenarios are more expensive than changing the air conditioning filters regularly.
Dave helps individuals to learn about Air Conditioning Filters, and the Health Effects of Breathing Dust.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Thinel
What May Happen When You Forget to Change Your Air Conditioning Filters
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