One of the most important things you can do to keep your air conditioner or heating system working a maximum efficiency is change your air filter. A dirty air conditioner filter can reduce equipment efficiency by twenty percent or more. Air conditioner filters should be changed every 3 to 6 months. Some contractors recommend every month but this is usually a bit extream. Unless of course you suffer from allergies.
There are many factors that determine how long you should wait between filter changes. If you wait too long, equipment efficiency begins to decline and operating costs go up. Changing your filter too often can become expensive especially if you are using good quality filters.
The more efficient your air filter is the more often you will have to change or clean it. For most applications pleated filters will do the job. These filters can have high efficiency ratings, as high as 60 percent depending on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers claim even higher efficiency ratings.
Pleated air conditioner filters should be changed every three to six months depending on how dusty it is where you live. If you live in an area with lots of dust then your filter may need to be changed every couple of months.
If you suffer from allergies and require cleaner air than a pleated filter can provide you can use electrostatic, electronic or even HEPA filters.
Electrostatic air conditioner filters provide the best combination of value and efficiency. You will pay more for one of these filters than a good quality disposable filter would cost but they are reusable. You just wash them with water when they become dirty and they are ready to use again.
Electronic filters will never become dirty enough to effect airflow. They just become inefficient and there ability to remove dust from the air deminishes. To clean these filters you have to remove the electronic cells and soak them in something like HVAC cleaner and then rinse them and let them dry.
The most efficient filters available are HEPA filters. These filters become plugged very quickly and must be checked often. These filters restrict air flow so much that they can cause problems with equipment operation if not maintained properly.
Probably the worst filter that you could use in your air conditioner is the economy panel filter. These filters are inexpensive but they do not do a very good job of cleaning the air of dust particles. Most dust passes through these filters and ends up on the evaporator coil of your air conditioner. As the evaporator becomes dirty, equipment performance begins to deteriorate and it will eventually have to be serviced.
These filters do such a poor job you could leave one in your air conditioner for a year and it might not collect enough dust to require changing. The unfortunate thing is the evaporator coil of your air conditioner would need to be cleaned every year to remove the dirt that should have been stopped by the filter.
When selecting
air conditioner filters for your home it is best to consult an expert. Donald has twenty years of experience in the industry and shares his knowledge at http://www.furnacefiltercare.com
