Do You Want to Improve Your Air Conditioner's Performance? Get Filter Maintenance

Air filters do two things: improve indoor air quality and prevent dirt accumulation within an air conditioner. They do this by trapping mold and dust particles. Trapping these particles usually removes impurities that exist in a home's air, making the air more friendly to the respiratory system. This trapping role also reduces the rate at which particles accumulate on the air conditioner's evaporator coils and fan blades, something that guarantees both adequate airflow and increased cooling efficiency. However, filters are usually able to perform their dust-trapping duties efficiently only when they are properly maintained.

Poor maintenance and decreased air conditioner performance

The dust and mold particles that air filters trap eventually cause clogging. This reduces the amount of air that the filters can let in, something that then reduces the airflow rate of the air conditioning system. And since adequate warm air availability in the evaporator coil area prevents evaporator coil icing, a reduction in the rate at which the warm air is supplied to this area will lead to the coils getting covered by layers of ice. The insulating effect of this ice will then reduce the cooling efficiency of the coils, leading to inefficient air conditioning.

With time, tears and holes develop in filters. This then reduces the ability of the filters to keep unwanted particles away from the air conditioner. When these dirt particles accumulate on the fan blades of the blower unit, they reduce the cupping of the blades, reducing their ability to move air. This leads to restricted airflow, something that will then cause evaporator coil icing and icing-related performance drops. The dirt that the torn filters allow to get into the system will also accumulate on the surface of the coils. When this happens, they will insulate the coils, reduce the effectiveness of the heat exchange process that happens at the coils and eventually lead to an inefficient air conditioning process.

Proper maintenance to improve air conditioner performance

To avoid the restricted airflow problem that is caused as a result of air filter clogging, it is important to ensure that you regularly wash your filters. Washing the filters regularly with a cloth and a solution of vinegar will get rid of the unwanted particles, something that will then restore the air conditioner's optimum air supply rate. As for the problems that arise as a result of the accumulation of these dirt particles within the system, replacing the filters on a regular basis is the perfect solution.

To learn more, contact companies like Universal Refrigeration.