How To Change Filter In Balboa Spa

For the typical homeowner, changing air conditioner filters is one of the easiest AC maintenance tasks you tin can perform. And, it's an important facet of routine heating and cooling system maintenance considering a clean filter can help keep your system running efficiently and reliably for years.

Equally a office of your heating and air conditioning system, the air filter plays two main roles:

Removal of airborne particles from the air that you exhale to meliorate indoor air quality
Keeping internal components gratis from dust and debris to maintain efficiency and reliability of performance

A dirty filter can crusade a number of issues with your system. It can restrict air menses, which not merely affects your comfort, but tin can lead to your arrangement'south air handler working harder than normal. Over time, that tin cause unnecessary vesture and tear on system components. In more than farthermost cases a chock-full filter can atomic number 82 to the system turning on and off many times in rapid succession (curt cycling) or fifty-fifty close down completely.

To avoid these issues, exist sure to inspect, clean or supervene upon your Ac filter regularly as a part of your air conditioner maintenance routine. If you lot do, you tin can help keep your organisation running smoothly and efficiently, and hopefully avoid an unnecessary service call from your local HVAC technician. And, once it becomes a habit, you'll find that changing an air conditioner filter is an piece of cake, depression-cost style to maintain your condolement and hopefully salve a little money downwards the road.

How Often Y'all Should Be Changing Air Conditioner Filters

How Often to Change Air Filters will vary based on the type of filter you lot have. For example, a basic, i-inch air filter volition virtually likely demand to be replaced more frequently than a larger 4-inch filter. You should follow the filter manufacturer's recommendations, merely a proficient rule of thumb is to inspect your AC filter at least once every ii-3 months. Boosted factors that can affect the timeline of how often you lot alter your filter regularly include:

Thermostat settings: If you tend to enjoy cooler settings in summertime, your system will run more often, which may decrease time between filter changes. If yous set the thermostat back to save free energy, you'll run the arrangement less and potentially increase time between filter changes.
Poor organisation installation: An undersized organisation will run longer and filters will likely collect more pollutants. Poorly installed ductwork may invite more airborne pollutants into the system also. Both of these examples can potentially reduce the time between filter changes.
Pets: If you are a pet owner, the number, size and type of animals in your home might affect timing between filter changes. Larger animals or longer-haired animals that shed more will shorten the time betwixt filter changes.
Quality/age of domicile: Older homes or poorly sealed homes tend to draw more clay, grit and other airborne pollutants from outside. Especially in areas with air pollution issues, you will probable need to inspect and replace your filter more than ofttimes.

As filter inspections become a part of your routine, you lot might desire to purchase replacement filters in advance and accept a clean filter available in instance an inspection indicates information technology's time for a alter.

How to Replace Air Conditioner Filters

Locate and Open Air Filter Cabinet

When it'due south fourth dimension to inspect your filter, e'er exist sure to turn off power to the arrangement. You lot tin exercise this either at the thermostat, the billow box, or using the shutoff switch located on/nigh the indoor unit (often looks like a light switch).

The exact location of the filter tin vary depending on the indoor HVAC unit and blazon of system. Most single-home residential systems include either a vertical or horizontal indoor air handler unit (furnace or fan coil), typically in a basement, furnace/utility closet, garage or sometimes an attic. Await for a filter cabinet along the sides, tiptop or lesser of the blower chiffonier. The filter may be positioned horizontally or vertically, depending on the orientation of the air handler in the indoor unit. In some cases, especially on older models, the filter may be constitute within the blower cabinet. If you live in a multifamily apartment or condo unit, the filter may be located in an in-wall return air grill.

Once you lot have ensured that power is shut off and located the filter, have a moment to determine the direction air flows through the system. Some filters will include air flow arrows to ensure proper installation. If arrows are present, take notation of the management they are pointing so you tin properly re-install the old i or install the new one. Now, remove the filter from its housing and inspect it for excessive build-upward of dust, dirt and droppings.

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Figure 1: Location of the air conditioner filter on a Carrier air conditioner

Decision Time: Clean or Replace

Sometimes when yous pull out the filter, it's painfully obvious whether information technology'southward fourth dimension to make clean or replace: if caked on dirt and dust are falling off the surface, information technology's probably restricting air flow and you'll want to take activeness. If it'south only lightly covered, or you lot can still encounter light through the filter material, y'all may want to make clean the filter and then bank check over again in another month. If information technology's somewhere in between, you lot can default to the filter manufacturer'south recommendations or utilise your own judgment based on your ain experience.

If you lot are replacing or changing air conditioner filters, be sure to either measure the old filter or accept note of its dimensions if printed on the casing before you throw the one-time one abroad. You volition need these dimensions to purchase a replacement if you don't accept a replacement filter at home already.

If yous are cleaning the filter, exist sure to follow the manufacturer'southward recommendations. Many filters, whether disposable or re-usable can exist cleaned with a vacuum cleaner nozzle zipper, being careful not to tear the filter material.

Insert the Make clean Filter and Turn the AC Unit On

Carefully slide the new or cleaned filter back into its housing with the airflow arrows pointing in the correct direction. Properly secure the cabinet or console cover, then restore power to the arrangement and turn it on.