To take the best care of your home’s central air conditioning system, you need to change its air filter on a regular basis. We recommend changing it every one to three months so that the AC will run optimally without raising the cost to operate it.
But if there’s an air filter on your AC, doesn’t that take care of cleaning your home’s air? It sounds like it should. So why would you want to look into other indoor air quality options?
The answer is that the air conditioner’s filter doesn’t do what you think it does. If your home has too much dust, lint, dander, and other airborne particles floating around, that AC filter isn’t much help at reducing them. You’ll need different types of air filters in New Braunfels, TX for healthier, cleaner air.
What does the AC filter actually do?
It does a big job! The air conditioner’s filter, which we’ll call the blower filter from here on, protects the interior of the air conditioner and the rest of the HVAC system from particles drawn into the ventilation system from the rest of the house. The blower fan pulls air through the return air ducts and into the HVAC cabinet, and plenty of dust and other debris travel on that air. But first the air has to pass through the blower filter, which traps most of those particles so they won’t contaminate the interior of the HVAC cabinet. Dust and other particles can harm motors and make the evaporator coil ineffective, sometimes even freezing over.
Although the blower filter removes particles, it’s not much good at thoroughly cleaning the air. The more airborne pollutants, the faster the filter will clog up and become ineffective at its job. It simply isn’t built to handle the requirements of improving air quality—it has enough work protecting the HVAC system.
What type of filters can clean my air?
What you’re looking for are whole-house filters. These filters don’t replace the blower filter but are an addition to the ventilation system to provide the stronger air filtration necessary for cleaner air without interference with the HVAC system.
To install these filters, a special slot to hold them needs to be plumbed into the ventilation system. This isn’t a job you can do as a DIY project—you must contract HVAC professionals. Not only do you need their expertise to install the filtration system, you need them to find the correct strength of filters. Filters that are too weak won’t help with air quality, and filters that are too strong will cut off airflow and damage the rest of the HVAC system.
Air purifiers are also beneficial
Along with whole-house filters, you may also benefit from air purification systems. Air purifiers don’t trap particles in a mesh but use electronic means. They are helpful when whole-house filters cannot be strong enough to stop all the airborne pollutants you want to remove.
Feel free to ask our team any questions you may have about improving your home’s indoor air quality.
At Thayer Air Conditioning, your comfort is our #1 priority! Contact us today to learn more about how we can help improve your home’s indoor air quality.
