4 Ways HVAC Filters Impact Your System in La Plata, MD
HVAC filters are some of the most neglected parts of HVAC systems around La Plata, MD. However, they are also one of the most critical and simplest parts of HVAC maintenance. Below, we’ll review their purpose and four ways that HVAC filters will impact your system.
Understanding the Function of HVAC Filters
Before looking at how filters will impact your system, it’s important to understand their purpose. The air in your home contains a variety of particles that will collect in different areas of your HVAC system.
If left to collect, they restrict the airflow through your system, which has a variety of effects on your system. Air filters trap these contaminants as the circulating air moves through the system, preventing them from entering the system itself. Below, we’ll go over some of the effects dirty air filters can have on your HVAC system.
1. Energy Bills
HVAC systems depend on their ability to circulate air, both through the system and throughout your home. When you stay on top of replacing your filters regularly, air will flow into the system as intended. However, restricted airflow that results from neglected filters will likely cause your energy bills to climb, as the system needs to work harder to circulate air than normal.
2. Home Comfort
Your HVAC system does more than heat or cool your home: it maintains your home’s comfort. It moves conditioned air by creating positive pressure at the supply vents and negative pressure at the return vents. When air isn’t moving through the system effectively, it won’t create the needed pressure differences, causing cold and hot areas.
The system also helps regulate humidity in the air around your home. When air isn’t moving properly, you may have excess moisture in your home. This will not only make it feel sticky but can also create opportunities for biological growth.
3. Operational Wear
Every HVAC system will experience operational wear as it runs through cycles. However, the amount of wear it experiences depends greatly on how efficiently the system operates.
When the system can’t circulate air effectively, its efficiency starts declining, causing longer cycles. Longer heating or cooling cycles cause extra wear on the entire system, leading to accelerated repairs.
Further, restricted airflow causes the blower motor to work harder as it tries to draw air through the system. Restricted airflow increases the resistance the fan motor experiences, causing it to overheat.
4. Air Quality
As the air moves through the filter, it removes contaminants, both protecting your HVAC system and improving your air quality. When the filter clogs, it doesn’t remove as many contaminants.
However, that’s not the only impact on air quality that the air filter will have. Rather, when the filter clogs, it creates an area that will also hold on to excess moisture.
The moisture and dust together create an environment where spores thrive and replicate on the interior of the filter. That air that does move through the filter will then pick up those spores and circulate them throughout your home.
How To Maintain Your HVAC Filter
For any central HVAC system, including furnaces, central heat pumps, and central AC units, HVAC filters are replaceable. Many systems use the common 1-inch or 2-inch filter, which needs replacing every 30 to 90 days. Larger filters may last longer, depending on the size, construction and your air quality.
Ideally, check your filter once a month to be sure you catch it before it negatively affects your system. Factors such as pets and smoking may require you to change your filters more frequently.
Replacing your HVAC filters is only one aspect of properly maintaining your system and keeping costs down. Our team is available 24/7 in case of emergency services, and we offer upfront pricing so there are no surprises. Call to schedule your HVAC maintenance with one of the NATE-certified technicians at Hancock Refrigeration Heating & Air Conditioning in La Plata, MD.
Image provided by iStock