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If your air conditioning unit just isn’t the same lately, a dirty air filter may be the culprit. If you don’t change your air filter, this can lead to a number of problems which, worst-case scenario, can cause your system to break down to point where you need to replace it. Even if you only need to fix a part, repairs don’t come cheap – and they’re especially annoying when they’re otherwise preventable.
If your air conditioner has stopped working due to a dirty air filter, our team at Ambient Edge can help. In fact, issues related to dirty air filters are some of the most common we see while out in the field. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at the first sign of trouble.
What Can Happen if You Don’t Change Your AC’s Air Filter
It may seem like one of those “I’ll do it later” tasks, but it is absolutely crucial that you clean the air filter in your AC unit regularly. At some point, which varies depending on usage, your air filter simply cannot get clean anymore, and you should then replace it.
Keeping your AC’s air filter clean ensures that your unit will remain energy-efficient. Plus, you’ll help your AC live out its expected lifespan of between 10 and 15 years.
If you do not regularly clean your air filter, however, here are some of the issues you can expect.
Allergies
The first thing that probably comes to mind when you think of a dirty air filter is all the pollutants in the air that you’re breathing in when the system turns on. And if you already suffer from allergies, this can become a serious health hazard. Heck, even if you don’t have allergies, you can suffer serious side effects from breathing in polluted air.
This is especially true if you have pets, who regularly shed dander that the air conditioner then traps, or if/when you use cleaning products to clean your home. The particulates from those products get sucked up into the air conditioner’s filter, and if you don’t wash the filter, the filter will then expel those particles again months later – complete with other dust and debris.
For the sake of your health, and the health of anyone who enters or lives in your home, you certainly want to maintain regular upkeep on your AC’s air filter and change it once it becomes uncleanable. And, if you feel you simply cannot remember to do this often enough, consider signing up for a preventative maintenance contract. Then, you leave the worry and the responsibility to an experienced team while you handle the other priorities in your life.
Higher Energy Bills
Perhaps the second most concerning thing about not changing your AC’s air filter, and also one of the most immediate setbacks, is that you will experience higher energy bills. This is because, when the filter is dirty, the unit has to work twice as hard to push the air out of it. And when your unit is doing double the work, you’re paying for double the energy.
When you regularly change your AC’s air filter, you will undoubtedly notice a difference in your monthly energy bills. Even if it’s only a couple of bucks a month, it still adds up over the course of a year. Especially since air filters only cost a couple of bucks themselves to replace. It’s definitely worth it, in the long run, to invest in the air filter, rather than your energy bill.
Repair Bills
After the energy bills come the repair bills. Let’s face it, you can only ignore a problem for so long before it eventually gets worse. And when an overworked air conditioner’s problems get worse, this means parts are breaking down, and you’re paying to repair them. Money spent that you could have otherwise saved if you would have regularly cleaned your air filter, or changed it when it needed changing.
System Failure
If you forget to clean your air filter, and if you forget to replace it when it’s reached its limit, your system will break down more often. And, like a car, you can only pay for so many repairs before the system either fails, or it’s less expensive to just buy a new unit outright. In some cases, the air filter, not doing its normal job, can lead to the machine becoming so clogged with gunk that it just shuts down entirely. And, depending on the age of the unit, you may not be able to fix it.
Don’t Stress Over Your AC’s Air Filter! Put Your Trust Ambient Edge.
At Ambient Edge, we are happy to provide our customers with the kind of stress-free experience a preventative maintenance contract offers. Don’t worry about cleaning or replacing your air filter – we’ll do all of that for you! We’re here to help so that you can enjoy an uninterrupted performance from your AC unit. You’ll also never have to worry about breathing dirty air due to a filter whose care has lapsed.
And if your unit has broken down due to a dirty air filter, we can help with that too! Call us or send over your information by filling out the contact form on our website. Sign up for a preventative maintenance contract with Ambient Edge today, and you’ll never have to worry about your AC’s air filter again!