During those hot summer months, your air conditioning is working hard to keep you cool. And this might make you wonder, should you be concerned about your air filter? Of course, you should be factoring your air filter into your HVAC maintenance routine during all seasons, but summertime does require a little extra attention. Here are a few tips that will keep your AC unit working in prime conditioning so that you can enjoy spending time indoors beating the heat. 

Routinely clean or change your air filter

A clean filter has a lot of benefits from improving indoor air quality to reducing your energy bill. It allows your HVAC unit to maintain comfortable temperatures indoors when it’s scorching hot outside. An air conditioning system is an investment, and when you want to give it longevity, changing the air filter regularly needs to be at the top of the list.

Learn how often you need to change your filter

There are a lot of factors to consider when making a routine for filter care. You must take into account aspects like the type of air filter you use, the pets that live with you (and the amount of dander, dirt, and hair they leave behind), the number of people in the home, and the air quality. Once you’ve factored in how much dander and dirt will be filling the air, then you’ll have a better idea of whether you need to clean it every 30 days, 60 days, or even 90 days.

Place reminders where you’ll notice them

Whether you set a reminder on your thermostat or you write it on the chore board that hangs on your fridge, you want to make sure you actually see the reminder to check your filter and follow through with cleaning it. It’s easy to forget, but it can end up costing you big money down the road (and even a few bucks right now). Find a system that works for you, and during the summertime, it’s a good rule to check the filter about a week before you think it’s due just in case you need to change it early.

Upgrading your Air Filter

There are many different air filtration upgrades that you can add onto your existing HVAC system. Each type of filter has a MERV rating, or the rate of effectiveness of the filter. The higher the MERV rating of your filter, the smaller particles it will collect, which will keep those particles of dust or dirt from your home. Standard air filters have a MERV rating between 1 and 4, but you can have an upgraded air cleaner installed in your home that can have a MERV rating of up to 20.

Call SSI today to ensure your AC unit works in prime condition for the rest of the summer. One of SSI’s certified technicians will assess your space, and inform you how often to clean filter to save money on your energy bill, or talk about possible upgrades for your filtration system in your home. Call SSI at (703) 968-0606 to schedule an appointment today!