Many of our suppliers like Amaircare, Airpura, and Allerair offer a wide selection of central air purifiers that can be installed independently or into the HVAC system.  Frequently, our customers will install a whole home or whole office unit and then have a portable unit in their bedrooms.  If you don't see what you are looking for, simply contact us. Large spaces, homes with multiple rooms, or offices with multiple rooms can be tricky to purify.  For optimal purification, ideally one or more air purifiers per a room are recommended; however, budget, space, and maintenance may make individual units in every room somewhat infeasible.  This is why many customers will use a whole home unit and then add an air purifier or more to the most popular rooms of the home or office. Please remember even though a whole home unit may be more economical, its filtration abilities may be limited by other external circumstances such as the size of the duct work, whether or not the blower on the furnace is on all the time (it can only filter the air that goes through it), and the cleanliness of the duct work too.

Although relatively cheap, your air conditioning filter can be the biggest factor in determining the efficiency of your air conditioning unit, your unit’s longevity and your health as well.  Let’s face it, Santa Clarita summers can be taxing both on your body and your HVAC unit, but ensuring that an air conditioning filter change is part of your routine is one of the most important factors in ensuring the health of you and your air conditioner.  Here are some simple central AC filter tips that you can use to keep you and your HVAC system running smoothly for many summers to come. Although your air conditioning filter can remove allergens from the air and increase your home’s air quality, many consumers don’t know that the primary purpose of your filter is not for you – it’s for your HVAC system itself.  A clogged AC filter can reduce air flow significantly, increasing the amount of time your system has to run and putting significant stress on your air conditioner’s internal components.  

The AC filter’s primary role is to keep dust and other contaminants from collecting on the evaporator coil and other components which decreases the rate at which heat is exchanged.  Additionally, this dirt and debris can collect on the various moving parts of your blower motor and fan, which also decreases their effectiveness.  In fact, a dirty evaporator coil can increase your utility costs by 5-40%. Replacing your air conditioning filter routinely will help keep your system running smoothly and prevent the buildup of mold, dust and other allergens which could require you to clean your air conditioning ducts – an unnecessary expense.  For more on this, take a look at: Should I Have My Air Ducts Cleaned? and How Do You Prevent Mold? One of the many benefits of changing your air conditioning filter is the effect that this has on your health.  Whether you have a sturdy immune system or suffer from severe allergies or asthma, ensuring that your air is scrubbed with each pass through your air conditioner is essential to good respiratory health.  

Routine AC air filter replacement is essential to decreasing the amount of organic material that accumulates in your systems ducting which can fuel mold growth.  pneumatic air gun for cleaningMold in your air conditioning system can cause several undesirable symptoms, including chronic cough, wheezing and the increased likelihood of asthma attacks.  zero air purifierFor more information on mold and other respiratory issues, take a look at the CDC: CDC and Respiratory Health.do it yourself air duct cleaning home If you or a member of your family suffers from severe allergies or asthma, I’d recommend this article: The moral of the story, if you remember nothing else from this post, is to remember to replace your air conditioning filter on a regular basis.  

Means changing your air conditioning filter every three months at a minimum, but possibly more often if you live in a dusty or arid area.  ASM recommends that you check your filter on a monthly basis and if the entire filter is dark grey and has a “saturated” look, then it’s time to change it (see photo – a used photo is on the right, the new filter is on the left). I can’t emphasis this enough – use good air conditioning filters.  The cheap type that you could stick your finger through with little or no effort and can see through as you hold it up to the light are no good (the kind you most often find in your apartment’s AC filter).  Buy yourself some high-quality baffled filters, and if any members of your family have asthma or allergy problems then invest in the better Honeywell HEPA filters and a UV purifier as well. If you take my advice and are looking for a high-quality filter for your next air conditioning filter change, then I’d take a look at products from Honeywell and 3M.  

They run about $15 a piece but are cheaper if you buy them in bulk.  If someone in your family suffers from asthma, don’t buy a filter with a micro particle rating of less than 1600 as this has been shown to reduce asthma symptoms and the likelihood of an asthma attack.  Believe me, my wife suffers from asthma and it’s well worth it.  Take a look at some of these products: 3M – A High-End Air Conditioning Filter Change. At All Systems Mechanical HVAC, we care about the well-being of you and your family.  Ensuring that you schedule a regular air conditioning filter change is one of the most important factors in ensuring that you and your family stay healthy.  We should also re-emphasize how important a regular AC air filter replacement is to keeping your air conditioner functioning properly for it’s maxim lifespan.  For more information on this and other air conditioning related topics, visit us at our ASM Air Conditioning Blog.  If you live in Santa Clarita or the Southern California region, give us a call and we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.