We breathe over 20,000 times per day. Every time you breathe, you take in the air around you. That being true, how important do you think it is that we breathe in clean air? Air quality has a significant effect on many physical processes in our body.
If you don’t change air filters when needed the resulting poor air quality can cause all sorts of unwanted health issues such as allergies, asthma, headaches, and much more. So how do you know when to change your air filters?
The answer to that may vary depending on many factors like how many people live in the home, are their pets, does anyone suffer from allergies, etc. Let’s keep it simple by identifying 7 signs that indicate its time to change your filters.
1. Gulf Stream Alert
No, we are not talking about warm air from the Gulf of Mexico but we are talking about unwanted warm air coming from your air unit. This is a sure sign something is wrong. If the air filter needs cleaning or replacing it will prevent cool air from passing into your room.
Another side effect of this is that your unit will have to work harder to produce the cool air that you want. That means the unit itself will heat up and give off warmth. The long-term effect of this is that your unit will likely wear out much faster and need more expensive repairs.
2. Dust Makes the Spot
Dust in vents is another indication your air filter needs changing. As air moves through your filter, it will trap dust. Eventually, that will start to block air passing through the filter as fully as it should.
Not only that but some fine dust particles will be blown out into your room. So open up the unit and inspect the level of dust that has accumulated around the air filter. If you can no longer see the fine mesh of the air filter it’s time to replace it.
3. Downing the Antihistamines
Have you noticed that you or someone else in your family at home are showing more signs of an allergy? Runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes are indications that your body is reacting to an allergen like dust.
Within dust, there may also be other allergens such as pollen and even pet dander. All of these allergic triggers may leave you reaching for the antihistamines more than usual. If your air filter can no longer trap these tiny particles, it is time to change it.
4. Bigger Hole in Your Pocket
If it’s affecting your pocket, then it is definitely time to do something. Damage to filters occurs as they become blocked with tiny particles and debris that are airborne in your home. As that happens, the unit has to work harder than normal and that means consuming more electricity.
The more electricity you consume the bigger your bill. Depending on the seasons and the way you use your air unit, this may be harder to spot. Once you change the filter you can compare the next bill with the previous as a reference.
5. Looks Dirty – Is Dirty
Keeping things clean is one of the fundamentals of maintenance, that includes your air unit. Open it up and inspect how dirty it is inside. If it looks dirty, you don’t have to wonder whether this is Ok or not.
You should start by changing the filter and giving the unit a good clean. If dirt is gathering in your air unit that dirt has the potential to be gathering in your lungs. So keep your air unit as clean as possible, including the air filter.
6. Can’t Beat a White Sheet
This is a well-known trick in the industry. Attach a white sheet so that it hangs down below the air outlet of your unit. Then run the machine for about half an hour to an hour.
When you stop, inspect what has gathered in your white sheet. If you can see evidence of dust or grey matter and debris, it is definitely time to change the air filter.
7. Last Time – No Idea
This last sign is perhaps the simplest. When was the last time you changed the air filter? If you are struggling to put a date on it then most likely you have already reached the time when you need to replace the filter. Some people routinely replace their filters every so often, which can be a fail-safe option to avoid any problems.
When it comes to the time to change your filter you have an opportunity to think about out what time of filter you want to use. You could consider using pleated air filters because they last longer and more effective than standard filters.
Change Air Filters – Breathe a Sigh of Relief
Now you can breathe a sigh of relief because, in this article, you have read about 7 signs that indicate you need to change air filters at home. With so many indications available, it is easy to see that if you don’t, your health and wallet could suffer.
Once you understand what these signs are and follow them, you and your family will be breathing cleaner air. Improving air quality at home should be a priority because there is enough pollution in the outside world to be concerned about.
Homelife is to be enjoyed to the fullest so check out some more articles on our site that will help you do just that.
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