Maintaining a high level of air quality is something that many businesses take very seriously. Whether it’s to protect their employees and guests or keep machinery up and running, clean air is a must. That’s why it’s crucial to be aware of the warning signs that your commercial building needs a new air filter. That way, you can change it immediately and not negatively impact any of the people or machines in your building.
Spike in Energy Bills
A sudden spike in your monthly energy bill is one of the first signs that you might need to replace your old filter. The problem with this indicator is that you can attribute these cost increases to almost anything. However, if you’ve ruled everything else out, the HVAC system itself is likely to blame.
This is because the dirt and dust built up in the filter are probably slowing down the airflow. That means your HVAC must work harder to continue circulating the air. A new filter will fix this problem immediately.
HVAC Starts Malfunctioning
If the problem is more significant than a clogged filter, you could be dealing with a malfunctioning HVAC. When a filter has become too obstructed and starts to decay, the dust might find a new way past it, allowing it to get into the main components of the HVAC. Over time, this will cause the entire machine to malfunction. Putting in a new filter can stop this from worsening, but if the damage is bad enough, you might need to repair your HVAC or buy a new one.
Noticeable Decrease in Air Quality
If the dust and dirt have made it through your entire HVAC system, they’ll start polluting the air of your place of business. This sign that your commercial building needs a new filter is one of the more obvious ones, but it also means that the problem has persisted for too long.
If you notice more people sneezing or coughing or see dust regularly floating through the air, you need to switch out your filter and do it fast. Hopefully, the debris hasn’t backed up your HVAC, but you’ll need to thoroughly inspect it to make sure.
Fluctuating Air Temperatures
Finally, if you’ve noticed that the temperatures in your building fluctuate frequently, this can also be a sign that you need to find a trusted industrial filter company to buy a new filter from. Backed-up HVACs have trouble regulating internal temperatures since they have to go into overdrive to keep up. This could also mean that your HVAC system has other issues, but those usually stem from an old filter.