The filter is one of the most important components in your home’s air conditioner. You need it to stay clean and last for as long as possible if you want to keep your house cool all summer in Central Florida.
However, certain factors can compromise the cleanliness of your filter. These six reasons can explain why your AC filter gets dirty so quickly.
1. Leaky Air Ducts
Leaky air ducts in your home’s air conditioner can contribute to your filter getting dirty quickly. When debris such as dust and dirt can get past the ducts and into your house’s air conditioner, it can get clogged in the filters. You then have to change out the filter or take out the filter and clean it thoroughly more often than you may prefer.
Rather than spend time and money cleaning or replacing filters in your home’s air conditioner, you can seal the air ducts in it. This measure can prevent dust, dirt, pollen, and other debris from getting inside the AC unit. It can also help your filter last longer and stay cleaner as well as allow your air conditioner to keep your house cool throughout the summer.
2. Pets
Pets inside your home can also contribute to the filter in your air conditioner getting dirty relatively quickly. As much as you love your cats and dogs, you may fail to realize how much their fur can negatively impact the cleanliness of your AC filter. As they shed, the fur can get inside the filter and cause it to get dirty faster.
You may find it helpful to take your pets outside to brush them. The shed fur can get released into the air outside rather than inside your home where it can dirty up the AC filter. You can also minimize pet fur getting into your AC filter by having your long-haired pets professionally groomed. Trimming your dog’s fur during the summer months can prevent them from shedding and causing the filter to get dirty quickly.
3. Poor Housekeeping
Your own substandard housekeeping can likewise make the AC filter dirty rather quickly. When you allow dust, dirt, and other grime in your house to build up on your furniture and floors, you create an environment that puts your filter’s cleanliness at risk. The residue on these surfaces can get drawn into the filter and cause it to become dirty in a matter of weeks.
To keep the filter as clean as possible, you should keep your floors swept, mopped, and vacuumed. You may find it useful to clean the floors at least once a week to help keep the AC filter clean.
You should also dust surfaces like your desks, tables, and ceiling fans as well as any wall hangings that you have in your home. By keeping dust to a minimum in your house, you can, in turn, keep the AC filter cleaner for longer.
4. Debris Around the Outdoor Unit
You may find it easy to forget about the outdoor air conditioner unit. As long as it works properly, you may wonder why you should even pay attention to it.
In fact, you should keep the area around the outdoor unit as clean as possible to keep the filter in the cooling system clean. Debris, like dirt and leaves that pile up around the outdoor unit, can find its way inside the air conditioner. It can then get clogged up in the filter, compromising the AC unit’s ability to keep your house cool and forcing you to either take out the filter to clean it or replace it entirely.
Keeping the AC filter clean can be as simple as venturing outside of your house at least once a week to sweep away dirt and dust that build up around the outdoor unit. You should also sweep off grass clippings, leaves, and spider webs that accumulate on the outdoor unit itself to help keep your home’s AC filter clean.
5. Poor Quality Filters
You might find buying and using inexpensive AC filters tempting, particularly when you want to save money on maintaining this system. However, poor-quality and low-cost filters actually cost you more money in the long run, primarily because they can get dirty in a relatively short period of time.
Rather than use poor-quality filters, you should buy high-quality HEPA or MERV-13 filters for your air conditioner. These higher-quality filters stay cleaner and also make your AC unit run more efficiently. In turn, you’ll save money not only on having to buy new filters every few weeks for your air conditioner but also on the money you pay for your household’s cooling bills.
6. Fan Settings
Finally, the setting that you have your fan set to in your air conditioner can influence how clean your filter is and how fast it gets dirty. Most air conditioners have two fan settings: on and auto.
When you have your fan on the “on” setting, you essentially allow the system to run continuously, even when the air conditioner itself is switched on and not cooling your house. This constant running of the fan leads to it drawing in more air, which can cause the filter to get dirty faster. You may find you have to clean or change out the filter more often when you run your fan on the “on” setting.
Instead, you can keep the filter cleaner by switching the fan setting to “auto.” This setting will only move air in and out of the filter when the AC unit is running and cooling your house. This setting helps the filter last longer and spares it from getting dirty as quickly as it would if you were to keep the fan on the “on” setting. The “auto” setting also helps keep your utility bills lower, prevents the AC unit from using too much energy, and saves you money on both cooling your home and replacing filters.
Contact Us Today
As our customer, you’ll benefit from our close to 40 years’ worth of experience we have in the air conditioning industry. We understand why air conditioner filters can get dirty so quickly and also know which remedies to use to keep your filters clean and help them last for as long as possible. Every action our technicians take when working in your home will revolve around your total satisfaction. You’ll get the clear and fact-based information you need to decide if and when you want us to change your filters. We can also provide you with in-depth information about how to keep the filters cleaner for longer. You can rely on us for ductwork cleaning, too!
Our technicians will use the safest and fastest methods to service your AC filters. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule an appointment at your home in Sanford, FL.
