The Dangers That Dirty Air Filters Pose to Your Home & Family

How Can Dirty Air Filters Affect Your Home?

The Environmental Protection Agency often refers to indoor air pollution as a potential health crisis. There are so many benefits of clean air in the home that people often try anything they can to provide this for their families.

However, there are some things that can simply be dangerous and end up costing more money in the long run. Don’t let a dirty air filter end up causing the entire HVAC system to need to be replaced.

Health Issues Caused By Dirty Air Filters

Air filters work by taking the dirty air in the home and passing it through some sort of filter media. That filter media removes things like pet hair, dust, dirt, and other allergens by trapping it as the rest of the air flows through.

The clean air then continues to circulate around the home. However, the longer they are in use, the more likely it will be to see dirty air filters that don’t work the way they should. This can cause serious and even potentially deadly health issues.

This can be especially dangerous for people in the home with lowered immune systems (like those with cancer), the elderly, pregnant women, and young children. It can worsen pre-existing conditions like asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory issues.

What About Cleaning Dirty Air Filters?

A lot of homeowners are tempted to just clean dirty air filters instead of changing them. However, this simply does not work. For one, vacuuming an air filter might seem like a good idea. It does remove some of the buildups on the outside of the dirty air filter, but it won’t do anything to get all of the dust, pollen, and dirt that collects on the inside of the filter.

While it will look clean on the outside, the contaminants on the inside will block the filter from doing its job and will just continue to circulate them throughout the house. It can also damage the entire HVAC system.

One other issue with attempting to clean a dirty air filter is that they were not meant to get wet. Over time, water left inside the filter can grow mold which the HVAC system will circulate around the home. There are some air filters that are permanent, though. These were actually designed to be cleaned instead of constantly replaced.

Can a Home’s Air Quality Be Upgraded Further?

While learning all about the importance of monitoring the home for dirty air filters can make a huge difference, there is one other way to get even more of an upgrade in air quality. Even with the best air filters, the dust remaining in the system, as well as the new chemicals from the filter, continue to circulate around the home.

In addition to filtration-based air cleaners, there are other systems that include things like ozone generators and air purifiers. These products can be added directly to the HVAC system already in place in the house.

The only downside is that they can be fairly expensive, and still only cover up the problem. Ultimately, to really upgrade the air quality in the home, the source of the allergen or pollutant needs to be found and fixed. Don’t just change dirty air filters and put a bandaid on it, find and fix the problem itself.

About Anderson Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

With over 35 years of experience in the Mentor, OH area, Anderson Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is your reliable heating and cooling company. Their team of highly qualified technicians offers personalized HVAC solutions in Mentor to help keep the air in your home as clean and safe as possible!

• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +