Category Archives: Maintenance

Should I cover air conditioner in the winter

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

Often times I am asked, “Should I cover air conditioner in the winter”. Many people believe covering their air conditioner will prolong its life by keep out debris.

Fact is, air conditioning units are manufactured to live outdoors. Although covering your air contioner may protect it from snow and falling debris. Covering your air condenser in the winter months creates a high humidity environment as the sun beats down on the cover. Inside this moist environment is your electrical windings, wiring connections, and in some cases circuit boards.

In the rare case that you are experiencing excessive ice fall, or debris from trees.  Only cover air conditioner top with a piece of plywood.  Remember full covers encourage condensation build up which is damaging to the electrical controls and components.

cover air conditioner in winterair conditioner cover top in winter

Which furnace filter should I use?

Posted by on January 21, 2012 No comments

Ever wonder, “Which furnace filter should I use?”

Furnace filters come in a variety of medias.  We will cover the difference between the two most common.

Cotton Pleated VS Fiberglass

fiberglass furnace filterCotton Pleated Filter

MERV – Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Engineers (ASHRAE.) MERV values vary from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV value is, the more efficient the filter will be in trapping airborne particles.

Fiberglass Furnace Filters- The majority of fiberglass filters only stop 2% of the dust passing though your furnace.  Often you may notice the filter doesn’t look dirty after months of use.  Fiberglass filters can allow particles the size of grains of table salt to pass through.  Thus allowing dust to clog your expensive evaporator coils.  Dust particles will also collect on the back of the blower motor causing premature failure due to over heating.

Cotton Pleated Furnace Filters - Comfort Zone recommends using standard pleated filters. ( MERV 8 ) These filters are not too restrictive and can be found in 3-packs at Home Depot for as low as $7.00

MERV 8 furnace filters are electrostatically charged, 100% synthetic and cause little to no change in static pressure. MERV 8 filter media will not promote the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, or fungi in normal operating environments. These filters are designed to last up to 3 months.

4″ Furnace Filters

As efficiency increases, so does the restriction to air flow. To compensate, more filter material is used in pleats.  Increasing the square footage of the filter material allows for better air flow and less restriction.

The most common sizes used in heating and air conditioning equipment are 1 inch and 2 inch but are also available in 4 inch, 5 inch and even 6 inches deep. The deeper the pleat the greater the dust holding capacity and the longer it can remain in the air handler without needing to be changed.

Comfort Zone recommends changing a 4″ cotton pleated furnace filter every 6 months.