Month: January 2020

Busy careers, bustling families, engrossing hobbies, and overwhelming responsibilities keep most people busy day in and day out. It’s understandable why worrying about the air filter in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is probably way down at the bottom of the priority list.

However, our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services wants to pass along a gentle reminder about the importance of this small maintenance task. It’s one that takes only a minute or two but can make a huge difference in your Tucson home.

Respect Your Air Filter’s Responsibilities

Think about it. Your air filter is responsible for cleaning every bit of your indoor air as it circulates through your home, providing life-giving oxygen to you and your family. It’s responsible for filtering out dust and dirt as well as things like pet dander and allergens. It has a big, important job to do—one that can contribute significantly to your family’s health, comfort, and financial situation.

Changing your air filter in your Arizona home is something that usually needs to be done a few times a year. When you think about it, it’s really a small price to pay for such a big job.

Health Implications of Clogged Filters

When air filters are dirty, they cannot do their best job cleaning your indoor air. Since most people spend the majority of their lives inside, it can significantly impact your overall health. Outdoor pollen can make its way into your home, and daily living will generate dust and dirt easily inside your house. In addition, if you have pets, you smoke, or you have any remodeling projects underway, all of these can add to poor indoor air quality.

Depending on the type of air filter you choose, you can minimize or eliminate many of these allergens easily. Keeping a small stash of filters on hand to help you remember to change them can help.

If you have family members who suffer from asthma or allergies, they will suffer much more in a home with a clogged air filter. Even those with strong constitutions may feel the effects of poor air quality on their overall health. If you notice health effects already, it may be time to investigate higher quality air filters such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that filter out the majority of the smallest particles.

Comfort Implications of Dirty Filters

An HVAC system is designed to deliver either heating or cooling services to your living space so that you and your family can be comfortable. Clogged air filters can affect the overall performance of your HVAC system, making it work harder and perform less efficiently. In addition, an HVAC system helps control the humidity in your home. Dirty air filters can negatively affect humidity levels in your home. Failing to perform this simple maintenance task can then reduce the overall comfort levels in your home.

Financial Implications

Clogged air filters can significantly impact the performance of your HVAC equipment. When filters are dirty, air has trouble moving through the system. That means your air conditioner or furnace must work harder to push air through the system. This can wear out components faster than necessary, shortening the overall life of your HVAC equipment. It can also mean additional repair costs and higher levels of maintenance.

In addition, it will take more energy to deliver heat or cooling to your home, which means your utility bills will be higher on a regular basis. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), simply changing your air filters can reduce your energy consumption by between 5 and 15 percent every month.

An Easy Solution

The solution to these issues is simple: remember to change your air filters once every three to six months or according to your manufacturers’ recommendations. This small maintenance task will take only a few minutes, and it can mean better health, increased comfort, and less impact on your pocketbook.

Contact Us for All Your Air Filter Needs

Our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Tucson, Arizona, can help answer any questions you have about air filters. We can provide recommendations or help with other regular maintenance issues. Just call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.

We know how serious carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is. Our ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals provide maintenance and service on all possible carbon-monoxide-producing appliances, as well as carbon monoxide detectors for your Tucson home and office.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, odorless, and tasteless gas. It’s formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon, or by the incomplete burning of natural gas and other things containing carbon.

Many times it’s mixed with other gases you can actually detect because they emit odors. Carbon monoxide can result when you burn gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, wood, and the like. It is also a by-product of an internal combustion engine.

What Is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

When you inhale carbon monoxide, it displaces the oxygen in your blood and therefore deprives your heart, brain, and other organs of oxygen. The severity of your exposure is related to the level of carbon monoxide in the air and the duration of your exposure. If there is a large amount present, it will work very quickly, causing you to pass out or suffocate.

A small carbon monoxide leak in your home may cause gradual and mild symptoms you may not notice until it’s too late. A larger leak, typical in more industrial environments, would cause sudden exposure, loss of muscle control, and, in some cases, death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 400 people per year die of carbon monoxide poisoning, 20,000 more visit the emergency room, and 4,000 people are hospitalized.

What Are the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning range from mild flu-like symptoms to more serious and dramatic symptoms, like loss of consciousness and breathing issues. The severity is again related to the levels and length of exposure.

Here are just some of the symptoms you could experience:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Weakness

• Upset stomach

• Vomiting

• Chest pain

• Confusion

• Shortness of breath

• Blurred vision

• Loss of consciousness

Carbon monoxide can be especially dangerous to those sleeping or intoxicated and for young children and elderly. It may cause death before any symptoms are noted.

What Is a Dangerous Carbon Monoxide Level?

Most people will have no symptoms at 1 to 70 parts per million (ppm). If you have someone in your house who is more susceptible, such as someone very young or old, you may see symptoms at any level.

But for the average person, you will not see any symptoms until the levels get above 70 ppm.  A 150 to 200 ppm level will cause disorientation, unconsciousness, and death.

How Can I Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Here in Arizona, there are a number of things you can do to prevent poisoning and keep the carbon monoxide levels down in your home or office:

• Be sure you operate all appliances according to the manufacturers’ guidelines and read all owner’s manuals before attempting to service or clean anything. Never service your fuel-burning appliances yourself. Have a trained professional install, service, and clean any appliances that utilize combustion of any kind.

• Have one of our professionals inspect your heating system annually, if not more, for any leaks or potential blockages, corrosion, or disconnections.

• Never run any gasoline-powered appliance or generator in or near an enclosed space. Even with proper ventilation, carbon monoxide levels can build up rapidly and cause death or loss of consciousness. The same is true for any kind of combustible appliance, including camping stoves, gas grills, and other fuel-burning devices or equipment.

• Do not use your gas stove or other appliances to heat your home.

• Never leave your car running in the garage, even with the garage door open.

• Install a carbon monoxide detector. A carbon monoxide detector or alarm is a device that measures the level of carbon monoxide in the air and alerts you when levels reach too high. Although this is not a substitute for proper carbon monoxide safety procedures, this can aid in your protection. Install an alarm near any area where people sleep in your home. People who are sleeping are often the most at risk of death. They can breathe in lethal doses of carbon monoxide before they would ever wake up and exhibit symptoms.

Call Us to Help You With Carbon Monoxide Detection

At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we want to help keep you safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Call us at 520-230-5668 or contact us online about installing a carbon monoxide detector today in your home or office.