Did you know that there is an average of 110 days every year where the temperature in Phoenix reaches the triple digits? Can you imagine a summer in Tempe, Scottsdale, or Phoenix without air conditioning in your house?
AC can be a crucial source of home comfort for you and your family, but if it isn’t installed or operating correctly, it can also be the source of health issues and indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Instead of setting and forgetting your cooling system, learn more about some of the top four ways that your AC could be making you sick, and what you can do to stop it.
1. Your Home Isn’t Properly Ventilated
Similar to incorrect AC sizing, ventilation issues in your home can lead to humidity problems as well. A home that’s too air-tight will become filled with stale, stuffy air with a high concentration of air pollutants. Whole home ventilation systems, such as ERVs and HRVs, cycle fresh, filtered outdoor air into your home without losing the cool indoor temperatures your AC is producing.
2. Your Ductwork Is Leaking
If you have air leaks in your ductwork, particularly around areas that can be dirty and dusty, like attics, not only will you be wasting a significant amount of energy, but that dirt and dust can be sucked into your ductwork and into your breathing air as well.
Sealing your ducts can help you save money, stay comfortable, and breathe cleaner air.
3. Your Air Filters Are Dirty
Air filters are your HVAC system’s first line of defense against airborne pollutants. But they need to be changed regularly! Dirty air filters will not only restrict air flow through your HVAC system, but they’ll be less effective in filtering out pollen, dirt, and other contaminants from the air you breathe.
Regularly inspecting and changing your air filters when necessary, or even upgrading to a higher MERV rated filter, will help ensure that your HVAC system is working hard to remove pollutants and health hazards from your air.
4. Your AC Is Incorrectly Sized
Air conditioning systems should be correctly sized for your home. It’s pretty obvious why an AC that’s too small will be a problem, but on the flip side, it can also harm you to have an AC that’s too big. Oversized AC systems tend to short cycle, turning on and off frequently and only running for a few minutes at a time. This isn’t long enough to properly dehumidify the air in your home during Arizona’s monsoon season, and even if the high risk period is only for a month or so every year, humidity issues can lead to mold growth, allergies, asthma issues, and more.
That’s what makes load calculations before your next AC installation so important, and why any contractor installing a new cooling system in your home should be running a Manual J load calculation.
Keep Your AC Working and Your Air Healthy with Ideal Energy
You deserve to feel confident that your AC unit and HVAC system are in good shape, operating efficiently, and not creating indoor air quality issues in your home. Regular AC maintenance from a professional HVAC technician, like the award-winning and certified team at Ideal Energy, provides peace of mind that everything is as it should be.
AC tune-ups include cleaning of evaporator coils and inspection of condensate lines and drip pans, all areas of your AC where neglect can lead to water and moisture issues and mold growth. Plus, tune-ups help extend the lifespan of your system, meaning you can go longer before having to open up your wallet for AC replacement, and even decreasing the number of AC repair calls to your home.