DO YOU WANT TO SAVE UP TO 30% ON YOUR YEARLY COOLING COSTS? I AM SURE WE ALL DO. THE KEY TO SAVING MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL IS REGULAR MAINTENANCE. YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM SERVICED TWICE PER YEAR. AN ADDED BENEFIT OF THIS SERVICE ,IT WILL HELP PROTECT YOUR SYSTEM FROM EARLY FAILURE,PREVENT MOLD FROM GROWING IN THE SYSTEM, AND HELP IT PERFORM AT IT'S HIGHEST EFFICIENCY. IT WILL ALSO KEEP YOU FROM FEELING THE HIGH HUMIDITY. LOW HUMIDITY+COLD AIR= COMFORT.

ONE REQUIREMENT WE MUST DO FOR OUR SELVES IS TAKE CARE OF THE FILTER. EITHER CLEAN IT OR REPLACE IT EVERY MONTH. A DIRTY FILTER RESTRICTS AIR FLOW. THIS CAN BE VERY BAD FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT AND THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOUSE. PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME, HOW OFTEN SHOULD I REPLACE THE FILTER IN MY HOME? I TELL THEM THAT IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF FILTER, HOW OFTEN THEY ARE USING THEIR SYSTEM,AND THE QUALITY OF THEIR INDOOR AIR. THERE ARE ALL TYPES OF FILTERS AVAILABLE. I TELL MY CUSTOMERS THAT THEY SHOULD GET THE BEST FILTER THAT THEY CAN AFFORD. GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR FAMILY. WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND A GIFT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS EVERYTHING,BUY THAT PERSON A GOOD QUALITY FILTER. THE TYPE OF FILTER YOU CAN USE DEPENDS ON THE APPLICATION. IF YOU HAVE ROOM AT THE AIR HANDLER YOU CAN INSTALL A 5 INCH PLEATED BOX TYPE FILTER. THIS IS THE BEST FLOW THROUGH FILTER YOU CAN BUY. THESE 5 INCH PLEATED FILTERS HAVE TO BE REPLACED ONCE OR TWICE PER YEAR. ANOTHER FINE FILTER IS A METAL FRAMED ELECTROSTATIC FILTER. IT IS USUALLY CUSTOM MADE TO FIT YOUR RETURN GRILL. THERE ARE SOME THAT YOU CAN SIZE AND ADJUST THE FRAME YOUR SELF. WITH THIS TYPE OF FILTER YOU NEED TO CUT THE MEDIA TO SIZE TO FIT THE ADJUSTABLE FRAME. IT IS ALLOT OF WORK TO GET IT SIZED FOR YOUR FILTER RETURN GRILL.THESE HAVE TO BE WASHED EVERY MONTH OR AS THEY BECOME DIRTY,  FINALLY THERE ARE ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANERS. THESE HAVE ELECTRONIC PLATES THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT AND CLEANED MONTHLY. THEY CAN BE PUT IN THE DISHWASHER TO BE CLEANED AND SANITIZED. THE WORST FILTER YOU CAN BUY IS THE FILTER I SEEM TO SEE EVERY DAY. YOU HAVE ALL SEEN THEM. THEY HAVE A CARDBOARD FRAME A BLUE SPUN FIBER GLASS. HERE IS AN EASY TEST TO PROVE TO YOUR SELF THAT FOR EVEN A DOLLAR THEY ARE A WAIST OF MONEY. LAY THE FILTER FLAT ABOVE YOUR SINK AND TAKE A HAND FULL OF SALT AND DROP THE SALT ON THE FILTER. WATCH THE SALT PASS THROUGH THE FILTER INTO THE SINK. THE AVERAGE SIZE OF ONE SALT PARTICLE IS 10 MICRONS. IF A SALT PARTICLE IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE FILTER I GUESS A POLLEN SPORE, OR MOLD SPORE,AND A PIECE OF DUST SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM GETTING THROUGH TO YOUR EVAPORATOR. DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL A CERTIFIED MOLD INSPECTOR LIKE ME AND ASK FOR HELP. GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS MY PASSION. I WILL HELP ANYONE PICK OUT A FILTER FOR THEIR FAMILY.

THE REASON THE FILTER IS SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE IT IS PROTECTING THE EVAPORATOR COIL INSIDE THE AIR HANDLER. THE AIR HANDLER IS THE PART OF YOUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT IS ON THE INSIDE. USUALLY IN A CLOSET, YOUR ATTIC, OR IN YOUR GARAGE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THIS INSIDE COIL CLEAN. A DIRTY COIL IN THE AIR HANDLER CAN EFFECT YOUR HEALTH, WASTE ENERGY, AND CUT THE CAPACITY OF YOUR COOLING EQUIPMENT. A DIRTY COIL CAN REDUCE AIRFLOW THROUGH THE EQUIPMENT. FOR EACH 10% REDUCTION IN AIRFLOW, THE EFFICIENCY OF THE EQUIPMENT DROPS ABOUT 5%. IN REALITY REDUCED AIRFLOW MEANS LESS COOLING. EVERY THING IN THE INSIDE UNIT CAN CAUSE POOR AIRFLOW AND AIR QUALITY. THE EVAPORATOR COIL IS COLD FROM THE FREON. THE HOT DAMP AIR IN YOUR HOME PASSES THROUGH THE FILTER TO THE EVAPORATOR COIL. THAT COIL IS WET. THIS WET COIL IS A CATCHER OF DUST, DIRT, POLLEN, MOLD, PET DANDER,AND EVEN DUST MITES AND OTHER BUG PARTS. THE BLOWER FINS ALSO GET CLOGGED FROM THESE SAME CONTAMINANTS. MOLD AND OTHER MICROBIAL MATTER CAN GROW INSIDE OF THE AIR HANDLER, ESPECIALLY IN FLORIDA. THE INDOOR UNIT SHOULD BE CHECKED AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR, MAYBE TWICE A YEAR IF YOU HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMS. THE INSIDE UNIT CAN BE CLEANED, ESPECIALLY THE EVAPORATOR COIL AND BLOWER WHEEL. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE BY A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THE HOMEOWNER SHOULD TRY AND DO THEMSELVES. CALL A CERTIFIED MOLD INSPECTOR THAT IS ALSO A CERTIFIED HVAC TECHNICIAN LIKE ME. THE COST OF CLEANING OR OVERHAULING AN INDOOR UNIT WITH THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS VERY FROM UNIT TO UNIT. IT DEPENDS WHERE THE UNIT IS AND HOW ACCESSIBLE IT IS. THE COST DEPENDS ON IF IT CAN BE CLEANED IN PLACE OR IF IT HAS TO BE REMOVED AND TAKEN OUT SIDE. IF THATS THE CASE, FREON HAS TO BE TAKEN OUT AND STORED UNTIL RE-FILLED. TYPICALLY IT RUNS FROM THE EASIEST IN PLACE JOB OF $100.00 TO THE MOST DIFFICULT REMOVAL JOB OF $500.00 OR MORE. IT CAN TAKE FROM ONE HOUR TO A HALF A DAY. THE BEST THING TO DO IS FIND SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST AND GET THEIR ADVICE.

STAY TUNED UNTIL NEXT TIME WHEN I WILL TALK ABOUT THE OUTSIDE CONDENSER UNIT AND THE DUCT WORK IN YOUR ATTIC. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN SAVE MONEY THIS SUMMER ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL. AND HOW WE CAN GET YOU BETTER AIRFLOW AND BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY.

JACOB MERMIN CHI/CMI

www.mermininspections.com

239-243-7322