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How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Air Conditioner

Indoor air quality refers to the comfort and quality of the air inside your home. Air quality takes into account factors such as temperature, humidity, and the amount of particles (natural or manmade) in your air. Poor indoor air quality is associated with lower levels of comfort and certain health concerns, such as allergies and asthma. However, poor indoor air quality can also take its toll on your air conditioner, affecting the way this appliance functions over both the short and long term.

Increased Strain

Airborne particles, such as dust, pollen, animal dander, and even bacteria or viruses, can cause added strain on your air conditioning system. When your air conditioner pulls air in for cooling, it does so through a vent covered by your furnace filter. This filter is designed to trap particles and prevent them from reaching your air conditioner; thus, the more particles that are trapped by the filter, the less area remains for incoming air to flow through it. When the air quality in your home is poor, your furnace filter will become clogged quickly; unless the filter is replaced more frequently, your air conditioner will constantly strain to pull in air, causing issues such as high energy consumption and blower motor burnout.

Ice Formation

One of the most common causes of ice formation on air conditioner coils is poor indoor air quality. Reduced airflow through a clogged filter can easily couple with dirt buildup on the coils to affect the air conditioner’s ability to cool effectively, raising local humidity levels and causing moisture to form, which then freezes into ice on the coils. Ice on your air conditioner coils will not only further reduce the appliance’s cooling capacity, it can also melt and cause water damage or mold growth in the area around your air conditioner.

Electrical Shorts

Even if your furnace filter is working full-time to reduce the amount of airborne particles in your home, excessively dirty air means that some particles will still make it through the filter and into your air conditioner. Over time, these particles settle throughout the interior of the appliance, coating it and affecting its ability to function properly. Dirty electrical components are more likely to experience shorts or other issues, causing your air conditioner to stop working completely and requiring professional repair to restore indoor comfort.

We have the solutions you need to achieve higher indoor air quality for comfort and convenience in Michigan. When you stop by our website, you’ll discover how our air quality services and products will boost your health and the performance of your heating and air conditioning. You can also check out our blog for more HVAC tips and information to keep your home’s heating and cooling system operating at peak efficiency.