noranguyen•9d agoProlific Poster

My uncle told me to check the air filter on my AC unit... he was right after 4 summers of trouble

So my uncle Bob, who fixes HVAC stuff for a living, came over for a BBQ last July and saw my AC unit running nonstop. He said, "When was the last time you swapped that filter?" and I just shrugged because honestly I didn't even know there was a filter you had to change. He pulled out this thick grey slab of dust and grime that looked like it hadn't been touched since I moved in 4 years ago. I felt so stupid because my electric bills had been creeping up every summer, like $50 more each July, and I just thought it was normal. After I replaced that filter with a new one from Home Depot, my unit cycled way less and the house actually felt cooler. I'm still mad at myself for not listening to him sooner, but now I check it every 3 months like clockwork. Has anyone else ignored obvious advice from a relative only to find out they were dead on?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher7139d ago

Laughed out loud when I read this because my dad did the exact same thing to me about my car's cabin air filter. He was like "bet your defroster sucks" and I was like nah it's fine. He reached under my glove box, pulled out this filter that had leaves and debris stuck in it like some kind of horrifying art project. My car smelled like a wet basement every time I turned on the AC and I just lived with it for two years thinking that's how cars worked. After I swapped it out the air actually smelled clean and my windows stopped fogging up instantly. It's crazy how we just ignore the simple stuff our older relatives tell us until they basically have to prove it to our faces.

the_elliot9d ago

Same thing happened with me and my dad about my fridge coils. He came over and asked when I last vacuumed them. I laughed and said never, who does that. He pulled the fridge out and showed me this thick layer of dust and dog hair caked all over the bottom. I vacuumed them off and my fridge stopped running constantly. It used to run like every 15 minutes. After that it chilled way better and my electric bill dropped about $20 a month. I check those coils every 6 months now.