If your house is like our home, the air conditioning is one of the most popular features this summer. When it’s not working properly we start getting a little cranky. My family is cranky because it’s hot in here, and I’m cranky because I am probably going to have to fix it. There are several thing that you can do to prevent an untimely breakdown, and if you stay in touch with us the next few weeks we will be mentioning some of them that you can do easily.

#1- Check your furnace filter every month. If it is pleated filter (a wavy fabric with a cardboard frame) it is time to change it when you see contaminates buildup on the face of it. Your filter should be inserted so that the side that has the buildup on it does not have the wire mesh on it. The air flow should be pushing the filter media against the wire mesh. If it is inserted wrong then the filter media will “balloon” out away from the mesh making it difficult to remove the filter.

Your filter should fit correctly. If your filter slides into a slot in the duct work, then it should either be flush or sticking out slightly. If it is recessed, then there is the opportunity for unfiltered air to go around the filter. This air with contaminates will get back into the rooms of your home without being filtered. Your home will be a bit dustier, your allergies may notice the poor filtration, and unseen by you, the dirt will buildup in the part of you a/c that is inside your home (the evaporator).

If you filter is not changed regularly if will reduce the cooling capacity of your system by reducing the air flow. If it gets bad enough something bad will happen. Perhaps the filter will be sucked into the blower fan, which will most likely cause it to become stuck , and then it will burn up trying to turn while stuck.  Or perhaps the clogged filter will restrict the air flow so much the a/c does not have enough air flow to operate and then will freeze over.  Both not so good, so change your air filter.

Another filter type you may see is a blue loosely woven fiberglass filter. Sometimes this is in the cardboard frames and sometimes you can see it in a sheet that you cut and fit in place.  This filter type lasts a very long time because the fiberglass is so loosely woven that it does not filter much of the contaminates out of the air. It is not very effective. If you have this kind, throw it out and get something better. If you have extra ones from the multi-pack you bought for $1.27, post them on craigslist or use them for shotgun practice.

You may have a large household, have several (or more) pets, or a very hairy spouse that seems to loose hair all over, in which case you may need to change your filter more often than a smaller household. It’s not the same for everyone!

If your are having a hard time finding the proper filter, post email or call and we can get you some more information on locating the correct filter for your home.