There is a variety of steps that can be taken in order to ensure continued working order and to expand the life of your air conditioner. It is very important that you regularly change your air conditioner filter. Depending on the amount of use, you will want to change the filter after three to six months. You do not want to wait too long to change the filter, as it will negatively influence the effectiveness of the appliance. This in turn can cause undue strain on the air conditioner, as well as extra cost for you. Changing the filter too often will simply result in extra unneeded cost for you.

A more efficient type of filter will need cleaned or changed more often. Pleated filters have an efficiency rate of ten to sixty percent and are used by most individuals. These typically need to be replaced once every three to six months. If you are in a high dust level area, you will want to change the filter closer to the every three months mark.

Filters that would need changed more frequently would be those of the electronic, HEPA or electrostatic filters. This is due to their higher level of efficiency and effectiveness.

A dirty electronic filter will not stop the air conditioner air flow, but it will cause the filter to discontinue proper working order by stopping the appropriate draining of dust from the air. The electronic cells would then have to be soaked in HVAC cleaning solution to be cleaned and then dried.

If you are looking for value and efficiency, the electrostatic filter would be your best choice. The cost for this type of filter is two to six times that of throwaway filters, but with the electrostatic filter you can simply thoroughly clean it and put it back in. This makes it a much less expensive alternative in the long run.

The overall most efficient filter is that of the HEPA filter. With its efficiency; however, comes increased care, as it must be checked more often. The HEPA filter has a tendency to become filled quite quickly and if not well maintained it can become clogged and unusable. It would be best to check this type of filter once every month.

More affordable panel filters are available at most hardware stores for around ten dollars for a four-pack. Of course with the low cost, comes the lower quality, as these filters are ranked pretty low in quality comparison. Use of these will cause more chance of gathering of dirt on the evaporator coil, resulting in these needing thoroughly cleaned in addition to constant filter replacement. These cheap filters are of such low quality that often you may go through long periods of use of your air conditioner without needing to change the filter because it is not really functioning properly.