More than the meal you cooked for dinner last night or even the furry dog who sat underneath the table while you savored it, nothing affects your indoor air quality more than your heating and air conditioning system.
At the risk of being dramatic, your health and your life may well depend on how well you maintain your HVAC system – and this comes straight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. High quality indoor air can:

• Reduce the risk of respiratory disease
• Mitigate allergy and asthma symptoms
• Lessen the intensity and duration of colds and viruses
• Improve the quality of your sleep, which affects your overall health and well-being

It’s easy to take your heating and air conditioning system for granted. But every time your thermostat sends it an electrical signal to fire up, your furnace or air conditioner begins the process by which warm or cool air flows to every room in your home.
A lot can go awry during this process, which is why it’s vital that you take steps to ensure that your heating and air conditioning system is functioning as well as it should. These steps include:

• Scheduling an annual heating and air conditioning checkup with Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning so that we can clean and lubricate the critical components of your system. Dust, dirt and grime are the biggest enemies of an efficient, smooth-running HVAC system – and will eventually seep into your indoor air if they’re not removed. Take this on faith not only from Charlie’s but from the leading national public health institute in the United States: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To prevent health problems and allergic reactions that can stem especially from dampness and mold, the CDC recommends that homeowners “conduct regularly scheduled heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system inspections and promptly correct any problems.”
• Removing your HVAC filter every month, holding it up to a light and replacing it if it’s stuffed with so much dust and dirt that you can no longer see through it. A dirty filter can do everything from impair the efficiency of your system to shut it down entirely.
• Purchasing a filter with a high MERV rating, which will trap smaller particles. The higher the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value on a furnace filter, the more efficient it is designed to be.

Calling Charlie’s for a system inspection if you fear your HVAC system has not been sized or installed correctly, usually evident through short cycling.
Clearly, you don’t have to “babysit” your heating and air conditioning system; it’s a strong and durable workhorse you arguably can take a little for granted. But it does require regular maintenance and attention – on your part and Charlie’s – so that your indoor air quality remains the very best it can be.