Your home’s air conditioner is an important tool that helps support healthy and safe indoor air quality. Keeping up with routine AC inspections, maintenance, and filter changes can ensure adequate cooling and IAQ support. Your AC unit can reduce particulate matter, ventilate your residence, and control relative humidity.
Addressing Relative Humidity
Relative humidity in your home should be between 30% and 50%. An air conditioner can help remove moisture when it runs. As air cools, it condenses water, which passes through a drain line and away from your home. In a humid environment, you may need to also rely on whole-home dehumidification equipment to bring relative humidity down.
Change Your Filter Regularly
Your HVAC system has a filter that traps particulate matter when your cooling equipment runs. Make sure you change this filter every 30 to 90 days or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This ensures that you can trap contaminants like dust, dust mites, pollen, and pet dander. Not only will a dirty filter negatively impact your indoor air quality. It will also strain and damage your air conditioning equipment.
Consider the type of filter you’re using. Residential HVAC systems can usually handle a filter that has a MERV rating between 8 and 12. Anything higher than 12 results in too much airflow restriction. Anything below eight can allow a lot of particulates to circulate back into your environment.
Importance of Routine Maintenance
Make sure that you have a professional inspect and maintain your cooling system each year. Ideally, you should schedule this service call prior to the start of summer when you’ll rely on your AC heavily. Maintenance includes cleaning coils, the blower assembly, and other interior components. This allows your AC system to move air efficiently and condense moisture adequately.
Consider Upgrading Your AC
There are several AC upgrades that can help make your home more comfortable while improving your indoor air quality. A whole-home air purification device will remove more particulate matter than your standard HVAC filter can. If you have a unit with a HEPA filter, you can remove up to 99.97% of the contaminants in your air. This also protects your AC equipment. It should last longer and experience fewer issues during its lifespan. A balanced ventilation system will provide fresh air while recovering energy.
Prioritize your indoor air quality this spring and summer. Reach out to our team at Trinity Air Heating & Air Conditioning in Peachtree City, GA for your AC repair and maintenance needs.