Top 5 Indoor Air Quality Benefits of Regular Air Conditioning Maintenance

The following contribution is from another author.

During the hottest days of summer, there’s nothing like heading inside your house, shutting all the doors and windows, and cranking up the AC for a little relief. Most of the time, this is a great tactic for beating the heat, but when was the last time maintenance or indoor air quality services were performed on your air conditioning unit? Improper care can lead to equipment breakdowns, increased energy usage, poor indoor air quality, and other issues.

In the following article, we’ll discuss the most important benefits of investing in regular air conditioning maintenance.

First, a Word About Indoor Air Quality

The air we breathe is an invisible mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and trace chemicals. Unfortunately, it can also be full of microscopic pollutants, the makeup of which can vary a great deal depending on location and conditions.

Inside the home, these pollutants commonly consist of dust, pet dander, fragments of carpet fibers, and even dead dust mites and insect matter. Particles from outside may also find their way in, including pollen, carbon molecules, and other forms of air pollution. Unless filtered out, all these microscopic elements will build up, reducing air quality and potentially affecting the health and comfort of those living in the home.

When a home is closed up and the AC is running, the same dust-laden air circulates repeatedly throughout the space, carrying a steadily increasing buildup of irritants as it does so. Your air conditioner is designed to limit this buildup, utilizing a filtration system that captures airborne particles. Over time, however, if not cared for properly, this system will weaken and could ultimately fail to perform at full capacity. This is why regular maintenance by an indoor air quality services professional is so important.

1. Improved Respiratory Health

Studies have connected poor indoor air quality to a wide variety of acute and chronic health conditions. Asthma is one of the most common health issues that can occur as a result of dirty air inside a building. Recently, studies have also begun to draw connections between poor indoor air quality and cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Your lungs need to work extra hard to capture the pollutants and particles missed by your AC’s filters, potentially leading to uncomfortable side effects or illness. Regular maintenance, such as cleaning the ducts and cleaning and changing the filters in an HVAC system, however, can help to reduce this risk. This helps keep everyone in your home a little healthier.

2. Reduced Allergens

Particulate matter in the air is a problem for everyone, but some individuals are more sensitive than others. For them, certain types of particles, such as pollen or pet dander, can trigger an allergic reaction. They might experience symptoms such as itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, or sometimes even hives. Because they trigger allergies, these types of particles are referred to as allergens.

If you are one of the millions of people across the country who suffer from allergies, you understand how debilitating they can be, and chances are, you’ll do whatever is necessary to avoid them. A well-maintained, highly functional HVAC system is one of the most important ways to reduce the buildup of allergens inside the home.

3. Optimized Airflow

When you invest in indoor air quality services, you’re not just investing in the health benefits; the comfort of your home is also improved. You’ve probably experienced being in a building with suboptimal airflow before. Some rooms become overly hot and stuffy, while others turn downright chilly even when it’s warm outside. You might even end up with a room that’s hot on one side and cold on the other.

These problems are often the result of poor airflow and can be addressed with air conditioning maintenance. As part of your regular maintenance plan, your HVAC professional will seal any gaps and cracks they may find in your ductwork. They will also inspect—and if necessary, repair—the insulation in your building, which will also help to improve the overall airflow throughout the home.

4. Minimized Moisture

Inside the home, excessive moisture is the enemy. It can seep through the ceiling, into the walls, and under the floorboards. There, it can cause wood to warp and decay, damage paint, and rust metal components. Even worse, it will encourage the growth of harmful mold, which will release hazardous spores into the air and put residents at risk of health complications.

Moisture has a major impact on physical comfort as well. An overly humid space will often feel much warmer than it actually is. One of the key jobs an air conditioner has is to reduce that excess moisture from the air, a task it can only perform if it has been well-maintained and is operating at peak capacity.

5. Reduced Repair Costs

The last benefit of regular AC maintenance that we’ll discuss here is the financial one. There’s a good reason why we’ve referred to regular indoor air quality services as an investment: they can absolutely have a major monetary payoff, especially in the long term. That’s because regular maintenance and repair can fix cumulative damage before it leads to major damage or failure of the system.

If a major element of the HVAC system fails, such as the evaporator coil, it can necessitate a replacement which could cost thousands of dollars. Having a licensed professional inspect the system on a regular basis and keep things in tip-top shape can help you avoid these expensive repairs.

To schedule a maintenance visit for your HVAC system, contact a licensed professional near you today. In Westlake, Ohio, choose All Weather Heating & Cooling, where the pros have years of experience with all types of air conditioning systems. Whoever your trusted HVAC technician is, schedule a maintenance visit at least once a year to take advantage of the benefits listed above and more.