If you are reading this, it’s probably because you know that it’s important for the operation of your air conditioning system to change or clean its air filter once a month during the summer. Without this regular attention, the filter will become clogged and start to impair the AC, leading to higher bills and possibly repair needs.
But this often leads to an immediate question: “Just where is the air filter?” It’s a good question, and the simple but not very helpful answer is, “It’s different from home to home.”
We can offer you some assistance on locating you air filter, however, since there are a number of locations in an HVAC system where you are most likely to find it:
- If you have a horizontal air conditioning cabinet (the kind that also has the furnace in it) and the ductwork exits from the side of the cabinet, look to see if the filter is located on the intake side of the air handler. The filter will be in a slot where it can be easily removed.
- If the ducts exit from the top of the AC cabinet, the slot with the filter will probably be right above the unit. The opposite is true if the ductwork leaves from the bottom.
- If you don’t see a slot for an air handler near the cabinet itself, find the grill of the return air vent in your house; sometimes the filter is located behind it.
- If there are return vents in each room, there may be air filters behind each one. They all need to be changed/cleaned.
It can sometimes be tricky to find your air filter, and if you simply cannot locate it, talk to a residential HVAC technician. You can discover during a regular maintenance session the location of the filter, and the technician will be glad to show you how to clean or change it.
To arrange for air conditioning maintenance and any other assistance you may need with keeping your home cool this summer in Burlington, VT, contact Red Rock Mechanical.
