Having clean air filters is a good idea any time of year, but never more so than at the peak of the cooling season. Air conditioners in the Asheville area are sure to get a workout in the months ahead, and regular filter maintenance can help you cool your home more efficiently.

The Importance Of Filter Maintenance

The air filters do a simple but important job: they remove dust and other particles from the air in your home. Unfortunately, filters get dirty over time simply as a result of doing their job therefore making them less effective. Regularly changing your filters has a number of benefits:

• It saves you money. When filters get dirty, it forces your air conditioner to work harder to blow air through the filter. This translates to increased energy consumption and higher cooling costs.
• It improves your indoor air quality. Clean filters trap more dust, pollen, pet dander and other particles than dirty ones, helping to keep your air clean. This can be especially important if you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your household.
• It protects your air conditioner from internal dust buildup.  This could prevent future problems and potentially increase the lifespan of your cooling system.

How Often Should Filters Be Changed?

Exactly how often you should change your air filters depends on a variety of factors. As a general rule, filters should be changed a minimum of once every three months; but at the peak of the cooling season, you may have to change them as often as monthly. A good policy is to check filters every few weeks and change them as necessary.

Filter Efficiency

High-efficiency filters are a double-edged sword. They catch more and smaller particles, but they also get dirty more quickly, meaning they have to be changed more often. To judge a filter’s efficiency, look for its MERV rating. Many homeowners find that a rating between 9 and 12 offers the ideal balance of cost and efficiency.

For more information on the importance of filter maintenance, contact Smoky Mountain Heating & Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about filter maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smoky Mountain Heating & Air services Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!