preparing your air conditioning unit for summer use

Are there people in your home suffering from allergies? If so, the air quality of your home air conditioner and furnace is very important. This is what could be responsible for spreading dust, dust mites, pollen, and other allergens through the air. In addition, poor air quality makes a filter become clogged and the entire system to run inefficiently. Thankfully, there are four easy things you can do to ensure that your home has clean air.

Change The Air Filter

The easiest thing that any homeowner can do is change the air filter on your furnace. Start by shutting off the unit to make sure that no air is flowing through it while the filter is removed. There should be a service door on the furnace that allows you easy access to the filter. Replacing the filter also doesn't require any special tools, since it should slide right out.

If you do not know what kind of filter you have, sometimes the easiest thing to do is take it to your local home improvement store and match it with one that has a similar description and size. Some furnaces will allow you to upgrade to a HEPA filter, which can provide significantly better air filtration compared to its counterpart. These filters are more expensive, but could be worth it if someone from your house has bad allergies.

Clean The Blower Unit

With the air filter out of your furnace, you may notice that the inside is very dusty. Take the opportunity to clean the unit using a vacuum to suck up all of the loose dust and debris. Any loose dust is going to collect right back onto that new filter, so removing what you can should help the filter work better and last longer.

Have The Air Ducts Cleaned

Can you not remember when you last had your air ducts cleaned, or have never had it done at all? Now may be the time to finally get around to this. Dust can easily collect in your vents over time, and will gradually release it into your home as air passes over it. You don't need to get regular cleaning done, since the clean filter should help keep them clean for quite some time.

Vacuum Regularly

Air circulates throughout your entire home, so any allergens are just going to flow through the return vent and back through the system. Make it a point to vacuum regularly to remove allergens before they enter the HVAC system.