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Your HVAC unit will be put to greater use in the summer and winter months, and with it will come a higher energy bill. But, the cost can be reduced with a routine task - changing your HVAC filter. Installing a new air filter before these peak usage periods will help not only maintain the quality of your air, but also the life and effectiveness of your HVAC unit. Of course, make sure your replacement HVAC filters are the right size.
What’s Special about Summer and Winter?
Throughout the summer season, your HVAC unit works extremely hard to cool your home. It cycles air around and upwards in order to combat heat that inevitably invades during peak hours of the day. Keeping your air filters clean will ensure dust and particles do not travel alongside the cool air and spread everywhere. Also, it will allow your HVAC unit to work at maximum efficiency during the summer months. In winter, your furnace takes charge, and the new goal is to keep your home warm. It’s more important now than ever before to keep your filter fresh, as you will likely spend more time indoors and feel the full effects of your filter’s quality level. As we have detailed here before, the air inside is often more polluted than the air outside. Monitoring your HVAC filter (try a furnace filter whistle) especially during these periods is essential and general maintenance should be performed no matter the time of year.
Added HVAC Life
A dirty filter causes more damage than you might think. The dirt found embedded in an old filter can stop the flow of air and cause your system to work harder than needed and even overheat. In some situations, your HVAC system will shut down completely without warning due to a faulty filter. That certainly would not be fun in the winter or summer. Regularly changing your furnace filter will improve the quality of air and the lifespan of a unit. It’s a cost-effective way to ensure your home always has a fully-functioning HVAC unit.
Clean vs Dirty HVAC Filter
Polluting an HVAC System
An old filter causes your device to work harder than normal, but it also damages the air quality and even forces more long-term repairs on an HVAC system. Even worse, using an older filter forces you to breathe in smog, smoke and pollen. Meanwhile, your bed, carpet and floors collect dust mites that can further aggravate your allergies. This all happens very gradually – in sync with the decreasing quality of your filter as time passes. With the negative health outcomes, and physical maintenance issues that may arise from a dirty filter, it’s highly recommended to change filters frequently.
Energy Costs
A clogged filter requires more work from the HVAC unit; an added load that shows up on your energy bill every month. Health issues aside, saving money long-term by purchasing a new filter adds yet another benefit to replacing your HVAC filters regularly. Watching your energy bill spike during summer and winter is never fun so before that first bill arrives remember that as the seasons change it’s a great time to install a replacement air filter.