Your commercial air conditioning system keeps your office, storefront, restaurant or other type of business cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but your HVAC system also affects your indoor air quality. The filter, in particular, plays a key role in this process. Wondering if you need a new filter? Here are five signs it's time for a change.
1. The Air Conditioner Seems to Run Constantly
The filter grabs dust, pet hair, dander and other debris from your HVAC system, but when the filter gets clogged up with too much debris, it can impede the flow of air through your system. As a result, the air conditioner might not be able to cool your space, adequately and it may start to run constantly.
Note that a constantly running air conditioner can also signal other issues, but changing the filter can be a good place to start. If that doesn't help, contact a commercial HVAC repair specialist.
2. There Are Strange Odours Coming From Your Vents
When debris builds up in the filter, and your AC starts working extra hard to get air through the vents, you may notice a burning smell coming through your vents. At the same time, you may also notice odours from the items stuck in your filter.
3. Your Workers Are Calling in Sick
Poor indoor air quality can contribute to all kinds of illness and respiratory problems in particular. Workers with allergies or immune-deficiency issues may be impacted the most, but if your air quality is poor, all of your workers may have an increased incidence of illnesses. If you're having a lot of issues with ill workers, you may want to look at your HVAC filter. Some filters can be cleaned, while others need to be replaced.
4. Employee Productivity Is Down
Research shows that poor indoor air quality can also impact employee productivity. When employees are exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other pollutants that can build up in HVAC filters, they lose the ability to focus and their cognitive functioning becomes impaired. In one study, subjects performed twice as well on cognitive functioning tests when they were not around elevated levels of contaminants.
5. You Haven't Changed the Filter in a Year
Ideally, you shouldn't wait until you notice issues with indoor air quality. Instead, you should change your HVAC filters on a regular basis, or you should contact a commercial HVAC professional to service your equipment, change your filter and be proactive about repairs.
