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Clean or Replace your Air Conditioner Filter

What is the Function of an Air Conditioning Filter?

Air conditioning filters have a dual-purpose. They keep both the air and the unit's component parts clean. If the filter is not cleaned or replaced regularly, the effectiveness of your air conditioner can be significantly reduced. A unit operating at a sub-optimal level requires more energy to perform its function. Additionally, poorly maintained filters diminish the lifespan of equipment and premature replacements create more waste. Taking some time to maintain your filters every month or two can go a long way for the environment and your wallet!

BENEFITS for the Environment: Filter

Wasted energy means more pollution from energy processing. Top energy sources for the United States include natural gas, coal, and petroleum, many of which have been proven to both pollute the air and add greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, which is considered one of the main causes of global warming.

BENEFITS for Your Wallet:

The more clogged your filters, the more energy is wasted in trying to blow air through them. This slows down the process by making it harder to reach the desired temperature, which keeps the air conditioner on for a really long time.

BENEFITS for Your Health:

Filters can accumulate a lot of dust, pollen, mold, and other contaminants, which can aggravate allergies or even cause disease. The American Lung Association states that breathing in these particles can irritate the eyes and respiratory tissues, decrease lung functioning, or even cause cancer.

Cost: Low

Disposable filters are generally very cheap, and regular replacement would actually save you money in the long run because of the energy savings. Cleaning filters regularly probably has an even bigger effect, since not maintaining filters for long periods of time can permanently reduce the efficiency of the filter.

Time and effort: Low

The actual effort of cleaning or replacing the filter would probably take 5-10 minutes at most. Disposable filters require a little longer once you add in the trip to the hardware store, but if you buy the filters in bulk, you could be set for many replacements to come.

Changing Your Air Conditioning Filter:

Materials:
Broom or Vacuum
Hose attached to water spigot
Replacement filter (if needed)

Instructions:

Filter11. Determine whether your system is a furnace system or a forced air system. In a forced air system, the filter will be over a vent, where the air comes from. In a furnace system, the filter is directly attached to AC unit itself.

2. If the filter is near a very dusty or dirty area, sweep or vacuum the floor.

3. Make sure that the system is turned off before you touch any part of the filter.

4. If you have an AC unit, pop or slide open the panel door.

5. The filter can be either slid out of the AC unit or easily taken off of a regular forced air system.

6. If it's a disposable filter, carefully measure the length and width of the filter. Then go to the hardware store and buy filters that are the same size. Go to step 9.

7. If it's a replaceable filter, take the filter out to a solid, clean surface outside and spray it down thoroughly with water. Do not use detergents, since this can actually make the dirt stick to the filters.

8. Let the filter dry outside.

9. Put the filter back in, making sure to line up any guide arrows correctly.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 February 2010 )

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