Many of us wonder if our air conditioner is circulating dirty air, either due to dirty air filters or by drawing in polluted air from outside.
Let’s address these concerns, and talk about whether this is something to worry about!
How ACs work
First, it helps to explain how ACs work, in order to understand whether this is a possibility.
A typical central AC system indoor unit and an outdoor unit. These units are connected by tubes that carry a refrigerant, which is responsible for the cooling process. When the AC is turned on, the indoor unit draws warm air from the room, passes it over cold evaporator coils, and blows the cooled air back into the room. The heat absorbed by the refrigerant is then transferred to the outdoor unit, where it is released into the outside environment.
It’s important to note, this process involves recirculating the indoor air rather than drawing in air from outside. The AC unit is designed to cool and dehumidify the existing air within the room.
Dirty AC filter
While ACs don’t bring in outside air, they can still circulate dirty air if the air filters are not maintained properly. This would happen because of a dirty air filter. Air filters play a crucial role in trapping airborne particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores.
When your air conditioner’s filters become clogged, you’ll start to feel the effects pretty quickly. The first thing you might notice is that your home just doesn’t seem to be cooling down as well as it used to. That’s because the dirty filters are restricting the airflow, making your AC work harder than it should to keep you comfortable. But don’t worry, at Mechanical Man we have our own filter store so you can get the best price and have them brought straight to your front door!
Dirty filters aren’t doing their job of trapping all the nasty stuff floating around in your home’s air, so you and your family end up breathing in more pollutants!
Can ACs bring in dirty air?
So to recap what we learned, air conditioners are made to cool and move around the air that’s already inside your home, not bring in air from outside. But, still, if you don’t clean or change the AC’s filters regularly, the machine can spread dust and other yucky stuff that gets stuck in the dirty filters, making the air inside less healthy to breathe.
If you want to keep your home cool, your air clean, and your wallet happy, don’t forget to show your AC some love by regularly cleaning or swapping out those filters. Or let our maintenance plan take care of it – as well as the rest of your system – for a reasonable monthly fee, plus additional discounts!
Have any questions, or problems with your AC? Contact us online or give us a call at (574) 301-5748.