Breath in. Breath out. That’s something we do thousands of times a day without really thinking about it. That is... until we notice that something is wrong with the air. We’ve been discussing the issue of having poor air flow and circulation in our homes in our previous blog posts. Nobody wants to have hot or cold spots in their home. The ideal situation would be to have a consistent temperature throughout the house.
Previously we discussed the possibility that the ductwork of your central heating and cooling system may have some problems. Let’s pick up where we left off. What's next?
Keep an Eye on Your Air Filter
Most air filter manufacturers will tell you to change out your system’s air filter every three months, but that is just a general guideline. Depending on how much your heating and AC system runs, you may need to change the air filter more often. You will also likely find that in the peak of winter or the peak of summer you will change it more often than you will in the spring and fall when the weather is milder.
We’ve discussed the importance of regularly changing your air filter in several previous blogs. And in the context of poor air flow, we need to bring it up again. Why? An air filter that is not changed when it should will restrict air flow. Besides reducing the efficiency of the system, and possibly putting the equipment in danger of early failure, it will also result in poor air flow throughout the house.
Also, be wary of what type of filter you use. Air filters have a “MERV” rating. The higher the MERV number, the better the filter does in catching air particles and contaminants. However, the flip side of the coin is that higher MERV ratings also can restrict air flow if the blower motor in your air handler or fan coil is not designed to handle the resistance of the filter.
So if you are concerned about your indoor air quality, give GAMA Air a call at (310) 651-6936 or fill out our online form to schedule a visit for us to come and give you a quote for a whole-house air purification or filtration system. But just by pulling out your generic basic air filter and putting in a high MERV rated air filter cartridge you may be compromising the operation of your central AC or furnace heating system.
Here’s another no-no when it comes to the air filter: Your system should only have one air filter. We’ve seen in the homes of some of our customers in and around Beverly Hills, Culver City, Mar Vista, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel Air, Westwood, Downtown Los Angeles, Vernon, Huntington Park, Sherman Oaks, Encino that they have added small air filters on each of the vents, either supply vents or return vents. Their idea is that having an extra filter there will help keep dust and air particulate from circulating throughout the house. In theory it sounds like a good idea; Why not do whatever you can to keep the air in your home clean? However, the reality is that it will be restricting air flow and resulting in, among other problems, in poor air flow throughout your home. So like we said, if you want an IAQ system that works well in your home and with the system you have, let us help you.
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