Good Deals Heating and Cooling HVAC filterAs you move into your new home, one of the things you’ll want to be mindful of is the HVAC unit. Short for “heating, ventilation, and air conditioning,” this unit is important because it will play an essential role in how comfortable or uncomfortable your home’s climate feels. Heating and cooling are two of the main concerns, but one thing that new homeowners may forget is that the filter used within the HVAC is just as important.

Let’s get the big question out of the way first: do you need to have an HVAC filter for your unit to function? Technically speaking, no you don’t. Air will still push through the system, and your house will cool down or heat up as you desire. However, in the long run, there will be some significant issues that will crop up.

Low-Quality Air

The filter is put into your HVAC for a significant reason: to help filter out airborne particles that are bad for your health. With a filter, mold, dust mites, and other things will not be collected and will run rampant in your house. They can make you sick, and because the particles are circulating in your home, you run the risk of getting sick again and again.

Freon Tube Damage

Your air conditioner functions by having air blown onto the perpetually wet tubes filled with freon. Because they’re wet, anything that wasn’t caught with the filter will get stuck onto them. Eventually, all the gunk will build up, and they won’t function the way they should. Your AC may not cease to produce cool air.

Humidity Level

The filter helps to keep your AC functioning so that water condensation evaporates and doesn’t assist breeding mold and other airborne particles (which are bad for your health). This is also important because if you rely on your AC for dehumidifying your home, it won’t be able to without a filter.

Ductwork Damage

Much like your freon tube, your HVAC’s ductwork will be affected by condensation that collects in its aluminum casing and eventually will have mold spores growing within them. These will travel down from the ductworks and spread across your house via the ventilation shafts. Mold can cause health issues for you and your visitors.

When moving into your new home, we strongly advise that you not only make sure to have a filter in your HVAC for the reasons above but to make sure to change it periodically. We recommend checking it each month and replacing it based on your living situation. If you’re in a climate in which you have the unit on year-round, you may want to change it as often as every one-two months. If you live with multiple pets, you’ll also want to change filters every couple of months due to animal hair and dander floating around. Every three months is recommended for those who don’t use the unit that often. But you should be able to determine which frequency works for you if you’re checking it each month.

For more information on HVAC filters, contact Good Deals Heating and Cooling at 215-947-1166.