Keeping your air conditioning system clean, clear and free of contaminants is one of the most important aspects of both residential and commercial air conditioning maintenance.
However, it’s also one of the most frequently forgotten, with many AC system owners allowing their vents, filters and air conditioning equipment to get seriously dirty before taking action and cleaning up.
Beyond the aesthetic disadvantages of a dirty air conditioning filter (no one likes seeing dusty particles hanging out of the air conditioning vent), there are numerous health risks that could occur if you let your air conditioning filter get overly clogged and unclean.
Because of this, regular air conditioning maintenance is essential. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common negative health, lifestyle and wellbeing risk that you can expect if you leave your air conditioning system to — quite literally — collect dust.
Dusty, dirty and unpleasant air
In a commercial setting — and particularly in retail — it’s important that your interior environment feels fresh, comfortable and welcoming.
When dust, dirt and other particles collect inside your air conditioning system’s filter, it can have a noticeable negative impact on air quality. In severe cases, customers and visitors may be able to notice the “dirty” aspect of your space’s air, creating an unpleasant environment.
It’s important to remember that when your air conditioning filter becomes dirty, all of the air that passes through the filter will also become dirty. This means that your HVAC system’s vents can quickly become filled with dust and debris as the result of an unclean, poorly serviced filter.
The end result is an interior environment that looks and feels unclean — a very bad thing if your business depends on creating a great first impression with prospective customers, clients, and supporters.
Allergens and other health issues
Have you ever felt short of breath after walking beside a polluted road? Or felt like coughing or sneezing after opening the door to a dusty wardrobe? Dust and other allergens can often result in physical reactions, many of which can be unpleasant.
One of the biggest advantages of a clean, new air conditioning filter is that it prevents many of the most common allergens from making their way into your commercial space.
While commercial air conditioning filters are ultimately designed to protect the system itself, rather than your health, they still play a major role in providing your commercial space with clean air. A clean, new filter will keep dust at bay, making it a major asset in reducing the effects of allergies.
This makes it important to schedule regular maintenance for your air conditioner, especially if you suffer from asthma and other breathing conditions.
Remember, your air conditioning system’s filters won’t remove any of the microscopic particles that cause wheezing, coughing and other discomforts. However, they will remove the majority of large dust particles and other contaminants that can trigger existing breathing conditions.
More dust around your work or retail space
Nothing creates a bad impression like a dusty floor, table or countertop, especially in a business environment. First impressions matter a lot, and keeping your air conditioning system clean and well maintained goes a long way towards creating a good first impression with customers.
A dirty filter means dusty, unpleasant air, which in turn can lead to a larger than normal amount of dust collecting on the surface of desks, counters, and tables.
This can be an annoyance not only for your sales staff, who are forced to work against a poor first impression of cleanliness but also for your cleaning staff. After all, pumping excess dust into your commercial space is a great way to create unnecessary, redundant cleaning tasks.
Keep your work or retail space — as well as the air you and your staff breath in each and every workday — cleaner and far easier to maintain by taking your air conditioning system’s routine maintenance schedule seriously.
Significantly higher energy bills
Finally, the last risk of failing to clean and maintain your air conditioning system could be the one that hits home the hardest for most businesses: it costs you money.
When dust and dirt get into your air conditioning system’s evaporator coils, it significantly lowers the system’s efficiency. In some cases, the air conditioner can “freeze up,” resulting in a reduced level of cooling power and higher temperatures for your office or commercial space.
In response, there’s a good chance you’ll end up adjusting the thermostat to compensate for the loss of cooling power, increasing your energy bills as a result.
In short, there’s no shortage of reasons to keep your AC repair clean and fresh via regular maintenance and servicing. The health of your staff, the impressions of your customers, the cleanliness of your workspace and the size of your energy bills all depend on it.
