Energy Tip of the Day- Changing Air Filters Regularly

 Keeping your HVAC system running smoothly keeps you from having to rely on an air conditioning repair company to fix your system. I’ll start things off with one of those topics that’s so common, but you just might not really know much about it.   Sometimes I'm asked what is the most important thing that homeowner's can do to protect their air conditioning and heating system between their regular Maintenance Tune-ups. It's a simple question with a simple answer; remember to change the heating and air conditioning air filter. Changing furnace and return air filters is crucial to the proper performance of your HVAC system, not to mention your home's air quality. Did you know indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental health risks?* I know it's the last thing on your mind, but this is really important stuff. Changing the air filters is not all that hard for most homeowners, but there are usually two obstacles to actually getting it done:

1. Knowing just how often to change your furnace or air conditioner filter.
2. Remembering to change air filters when needed.

Ratings and Quality of filters will be discussed later but  For now, let's talk about these two big hurdles.

1. When To Change Your Air Filters?
Simple, when they're dirty.
Ok, now here's how to... Wait, not enough info? Ok, well... you can read the rest of this section for the details, or just skip over it if you're good to go.

Ready to dive in? Good, I like that. How often to change your air filters can depend on several factors.

• the type of air filter you are using
• the overall air quality of your home
• pets, pets, pets..
• occupancy of the home, and
• the level of air pollution and construction around the home
• ...and did I mention pets? Oh yes, pets.

For your standard 1"-3" air filters, the manufacturers basically tell you to change them every 30-60 days, which is actually a great rule of thumb. But general rules aren't always for everybody. If you suffer from light to moderate allergies, you could upgrade the air filter or change them even more often. Or, if you're in a more remote area, less occupied home (like a vacation home) and there are fewer cars around, annually may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter quick and with great success. Of course the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but extremely dirty filters can cause extremely weak HVAC performance.

I know, you skipped the previous paragraph but just have to have that quick and short guideline, so here it is:

• Vacation home or single occupant w/o pets or allergies: 6-12 months
• "Average" suburban home w/o pets: every 90 days
• Add a dog or cat: every 60 days
• Add more than one pet or have allergies: 30-45 days  

2. How To Remember To Change The Darn Things

It's simple; sign up for the CALM Air Email Club. When you do, you can elect to receive (or not) great email coupons and newsletters with a lot of tips and discounts on AC repairs and tune-ups. But here's whats cool, in your subscription preferences you can also select to be reminded to change your home's air filter by email every 30, 60, 90, 120 or 365 days, or even on the date of your choosing... whew. You can easily subscribe to the CALM Air Email Club for free. You'll then get an email inviting you to set up your email preferences. Just click the link in the email and choose the email options and air filter reminder intervals you want.

CALM Air cares about your comfort and saving you money! Call us today to schedule a Spring Maintenance Tune-up!! only 79*

(706)621-0242

*not to be combined with any other offers or discounts

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