Tag: air filter

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HVAC Tips and Advice

How Often Should You Replace Your Irving Home’s Residential Air Filters?

Residential air filters may be a small part of your home’s HVAC system, but they play a critical role in its overall performance. They filter out debris like dust and pollen that improves your home’s air quality. Air filters also do a great job of making your Irving residence more comfortable, but if you neglect your air filters, it’ll take a toll on your HVAC unit’s heating and cooling efficiency. Eventually, it’ll collect so much pollen, pet dander, mold spores, lint, and more so the air won’t be able to pass through the mine mesh fibers. When it does, the air will circulate those contaminants and can lead to allergy-like illnesses. 

The Function of Residential Air Filters

We’ve already established that air filters play an important role in the heating and cooling of your home. Now, we’re going to explain why that is and exactly what they do. Air filters use a fabric material to filter the air that passes through them. They trap all kinds of contaminants that would reduce your home’s air quality if left to float around freely. Some debris that your air filter should catch include:

How Often Should You Replace A Residential Air Filter?

Generally, you should replace your air filter every 90 days. Of course, different scenarios call for different HVAC maintenance schedules. If it’s a vacation home that you rarely visit or you live alone, you might be able to get away with replacing your filter every 6-12 months. However, if you have a big family with lots of pets, you’ll probably need an air filter replacement every couple of months. Some signs that it’s time to change your air filter include:

  • Warm air blowing out of your air conditioner
  • A hot HVAC unit
  • More expensive energy bills
  • An uptick in allergy symptoms
  • Dust in the air vents

What Happens If You Don’t Have An Air Filter

Your air conditioner won’t stop working just because you take out your air filter, but if you don’t replace it, you’ll run into some other HVAC issues further down the road. Unfortunately, these issues tend to be pretty expensive. The main problem you’ll encounter is excess condensation in the Freon tubing since the condensation drain can’t drain moisture without an air filter.

This causes water damage, and can ruin your  HVAC system. Aside from the water damage, your home will feel stuffy and once dust starts to settle, it’ll clog up the whole system. The loose contaminants can also cause your family to experience health problems. 

What Type of Air Filter is Most Efficient?

A lot of people choose whichever air filter is cheapest at the hardware store because they don’t think it’ll make any difference. However, different residential air filters have different efficiency ratings. To find the best air filter for your Irving home, make sure you’re checking the MERV rating.

The scale ranges from 1-20 and the higher the number, the better the rating. However, just because an air filter has a 20 MERV rating doesn’t mean it’s the best filter for your HVAC system. Sometimes, air filters with higher MERV ratings can actually impede airflow. So make sure you do your research or ask the Ellis AC technicians about the pros and cons of different air filters and their MERV ratings. We’ll be able to determine if you need a fiberglass, electrostatic, pleated, high-efficiency pleated, or HEPA air filter. 

Ellis AC– Irving HVAC Maintenance Services

It’s important to maintain an air filter replacement schedule to maximize your home’s breathability and to keep your family healthy. If you notice any of the aforementioned warning signs, or it’s coming up on 90 days since your last air filter replacement– call Ellis AC Irving. We’ll send out an HVAC technician that can pop in a new air filter with ease so you don’t have to worry about the inconvenience of buying and replacing it yourself.

Contact us today for a quote and feel free to ask us any questions you have about residential HVAC maintenance. If you have any concerns, we can schedule a consultation and your Ellis AC technician can assess your system and provide recommendations that will improve its performance.

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AC Heating HVAC HVAC Upgrades Tips and Advice

All About Air Purification Systems

Clean air and a great HVAC system are extremely important, and both should work hand in hand! Your HVAC already has an air filter, but how clean does it really make your air? Is a normal HVAC air filter effective in removing everything from the air that enters your home? If so, why should you have a separate air purification system for your HVAC?

Until recently, indoor air quality wasn’t a big concern for most people. Yet this benign neglect could put our health at risk. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside can be at minimum 2 to 5 times more polluted than outside.

It’s not only smog that threatens the safety of indoor air, it’s also mold, bacteria, and viruses. Now, with the pandemic raging around the world, it’s even more important for business owners and homeowners to do everything they can to ensure healthy indoor air within their spaces.

That’s a good reason to consider new technology that can improve indoor air quality, including an HVAC air purifier and air filtration system.

Why not just use a filter?

The pre-installed HVAC Air filter has one major disadvantage: It was designed to prevent collection of dust on the HVAC’s internal moving components and filter all incoming air to a certain degree. Beyond this, this mesh air filter cannot improve the quality or hygiene of air within your house.

While removal of dust from the home environment is ideal to prevent dust allergies and diseases such as hay fever that arise from these allergies, it is vital that your HVAC air purification system also have a filter to clean other microscopic contaminants which may lead to other diseases.

Why use an HVAC purification system? 

Here’s a list of what will be missing from your home when you install a good HVAC air purification system:

Dust mites – While a normal air filter can take care of dust mites, air purification systems do the job more thoroughly!

Bacteria and Viruses – air purification systems are designed to trap all microscopic organisms such as bacteria and viruses thus leading to cleaner, pure air.

Smoke – If you’re a smoker or you have a family member who smokes in your home, it can be detrimental to your health to inhale this smoke. An HVAC air purification system neutralizes all types of smoke – from cigarette smoke to fireplace smoke!

Odors – An air purification system helps to get rid of all odors from trash cans, stoves or even rotting fruit on your kitchen counter!

Pet Dander – Having a pet that sheds hair lowers IAQ, which is why you need an air purification system to remove pet dander from your living space.

Call Ellis AC and purify your air

An HVAC professional like those at Ellis AC can help you determine when your filters need replacing, based on your equipment and your air quality challenges. Ellis AC experts can also help you select an HVAC air purifier that is right for your home or business.

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AC Heating HVAC Tips and Advice

Why it’s Important to Regularly Change Your HVAC Filter

For most homeowners, the health of their HVAC system isn’t a top concern. It’s easy to forget about HVAC maintenance until something stops working, but ignoring regular maintenance until your system needs repairs can become expensive very quickly. Regularly changing your air filter is a great way to avoid system failure and improve your indoor air quality. Here’s everything you need to know about your air filter and the importance of changing it on a schedule.

The Purpose of Air Filters

Air filters do the very important job of removing contaminants like dust, mold spores, dander, pollen, pet fur, and bacteria from your home’s air. They’re usually placed in return ducts, which suck air in and push it through the filter with enough force to remove contaminant particles. The filtered air is circulated back through the vents and into your home.

How Often You Should Replace Your Filter

The time between filter replacements depends on a few things. Filters come in different strengths measured by MERV ratings. Lower MERV filters should be checked more often, while higher MERV filters might be able to go longer in between checkups. However, the most important consideration is the number of pets in your home. Houses with no pets can usually go 90 days without changing their filter. Single pet households should change their filters every 60 days, while homes with multiple pets should only wait 20 to 45 days between filter changes. For a quick checkup on your filter, take it out and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see through the filter, it’s time for a change.

The Consequences of Neglecting Your Air Filter

When you filter goes too long without being changed, contaminants like dust and pet fur will build up and be much harder for the air to penetrate. This can cause higher electric bills, poor temperature regulation, and lower indoor air quality. Air quality changes can negatively affect the health of the people in your home, especially those who have allergies or respiratory health issues.

How to Change an Air Filter

Before switching out your old filter, you need to get a new one. Look for the size of your filter, which is usually printed on the cardboard frame. If you want to improve your indoor air quality with a stronger filter, you should get one with a MERV rating of 10 or higher. Be sure to wear gloves and a mask when changing your filter.

Look for your air filter. They’re usually located in return ducts, which are much larger than other vents. If your home has more than one return duct, it might be a challenge to find the one that holds the filter. Start by turning off the power to your HVAC system to keep yourself and your equipment safe from harm. Open the vent and slide the old filter out of the slot holding it in place. Put it in a trash bag and dispose of it as soon as you’re done. Then simply slide the new filter in place, close the vent, and turn the power back on.

HVAC Maintenance and Repairs with Ellis AC

If you have any questions about air filters or need HVAC maintenance or repairs, Ellis AC can help. Our team is dedicated to top-notch service and client satisfaction, and we’ll always take the time to answer any questions you may have. Call or visit our website for more information or a free quote on our services!

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AC Heating HVAC HVAC Upgrades Tips and Advice

HVAC Maintenance to Improve Asthma Symptoms

Indoor air quality is an important part of keeping your family healthy. Poor air quality can worsen allergies, weaken your immune system, and make respiratory illnesses like asthma worse. Treatment plans and regular doctor visits are key for keeping asthma at bay, but HVAC improvements can help reduce symptoms of the disorder. If anyone in your family has asthma or similar health issues, here are a few things you can do to adjust your indoor air quality and improve symptoms.

Change and Upgrade Your Filter

Air filters are a part of your HVAC system designed to filter pollutants like pollen, dust, dander and pet fur out of the air before it gets released into your home. You should check on your filter at least once a month with a visual inspection. Hold the filter up to the light. If you can’t see through the filter, it’s time to replace it. Air filter quality is measured with MERV ratings. Anything with a MERV rating of 9-16 can filter out much smaller pollutants than lower rated filters, and might be better for the people with asthma in your home.

Adjust Humidity Levels

High humidity is a common asthma trigger. You can reduce your humidity by opening windows, moving indoor plants outside, turning on the fan when you shower, or investing in a smart thermometer. Smart thermometers usually display the humidity and the temperature, and some will allow you to adjust your indoor humidity. The summer months are typically when your indoor humidity will spike, and indoor humidity is usually the lowest during fall and winter.

Increase Your Home’s Airflow

Stagnant air is another common asthma trigger, which is why ventilation is great for improving asthma symptoms. Try opening windows or keeping fans running throughout the home. The exhaust fan in your kitchen is another way to keep air flowing in your kitchen. Airflow is especially important if you’ve made any recent renovations to the home, since strong fumes and dust can worsen asthma symptoms. 

Avoid Strong Air Fresheners

Air fresheners are a great way to keep your home smelling nice and fresh, but they can cause problems for people with asthma. Not only can strong scents make symptoms worse, but the smell of air fresheners masks other important smells. For example, you could miss a problem with your HVAC system because you didn’t notice it was emitting a smell right away. It’s best to catch and repair HVAC issues right away, or else they could cause bigger problems and worsen asthma symptoms. Try to avoid air fresheners, or only get ones that don’t have a very strong smell.

HVAC Maintenance and Repairs with Ellis AC

If you’re trying to improve your indoor air quality, Ellis AC can help. We offer top-notch HVAC maintenance, repairs, and replacements with high client satisfaction, all at a reasonable price. Our experienced HVAC technicians are dedicated to helping you improve your health by improving your air quality. Call or visit our website for a free quote today!

Categories
AC Heating HVAC HVAC Upgrades Tips and Advice

How to Choose the Best Air Filter

Air filters play a very important role in your HVAC system, but they can be easily forgotten or overlooked. Different homes also need different levels of filtration, which can make shopping for a new filter feel overwhelming. Going too long without replacing your filter, or using the wrong quality filter for your home and air filtration needs, can cause health and sanitation issues for your family.  Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the best air filter for your home.

The Purpose of Air Filters

Air filters can be made of fiberglass, cloth or pleated paper, which is usually surrounded with wire and secured in a cardboard frame. Filters are responsible for cleaning contaminants out of the air that circulates through your HVAC system. When air is taken in, it’s blown through the filter and back out through the vents, cleaning the pollutants from it. Contaminants like dust, pollen, mold spores, lint, dander, pet fur, and bacteria can all be filtered out of your indoor air with the right air filter. This helps to improve your air quality, which can be beneficial for people with asthma, allergies, and weakened immune systems.

What is a MERV Rating?

The strength and efficiency of air filters are measured with a minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV rating. Most filters score between 1-16 on the MERV scale. The number is used to indicate how well the filter will remove pollutants from the air. MERV 1-4 are basic filters, and they cost the least. MERV 6-8 filters can remove more particles from the air and are the most common filters for residential use. MERV 9-12 filters are at the higher end, and they can filter anything that’s one micron or larger. Finally, MERV 13-16 are the highest quality standard filter and can filter out any particle that’s 0.3 microns or larger. 

Maintaining and Replacing Your Air Filter

It’s extremely important to change your filter regularly, or else your air quality can quickly decline. All the air in your home comes into contact with the filter eventually, and a dirty or clogged filter can cause airflow issues and leech pollutants into your home’s air. Your HVAC system also has to work harder when the filter is clogged, which can spike your electric bill. Check your filter every month or so with a visual inspection. If you hold the filter up to the light and can’t see through it, it’s time for a replacement.

HVAC Maintenance and Repairs with Ellis AC

Ellis AC offers quality HVAC repairs, maintenance and replacements at reasonable prices. We value great services and client satisfaction above all else, and we’re always doing everything we can to keep our clients informed and educated. Our experienced HVAC technicians work hard to help your system last as long as possible, and they’ll take the time to tell you everything you need to know about maintaining it. Call or visit our website for a free quote on our stellar HVAC services!