Cleaning your air conditioning filters Published May 23, 2007 By George Katsihtis 39th Civil Engineer Squadron INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- With the summer heat already here, we need to make sure our air conditioners are working properly. Recently, CE has noticed a considerable increase in failures of air conditioning units as a result of clogged air conditioning filters and coils. The coil is where the cooling process takes place in the A/C unit and it is protected by the filter. Filters have a certain capacity for blocking dirt and dust particles. If these filters are not cleaned frequently enough dirt/dust particles will pass through the filter and settle directly on the coil, clogging it. When the filter is too dirty or even worse, clogged up, the coil itself eventually becomes clogged and, as a result, the coil does not get sufficient air circulation to do its job. The result is the A/C unit has to work much harder to cool your quarters and eventually the compressor will overheat and shut down or completely burn out. Even if the compressor does not shut down or burn out, with both the filter and the coil clogged, less air circulates through the system and it must operate longer and harder in order to cool a house or room to the desired temperature. This condition results in greater energy consumption and premature replacement of air conditioning systems - essentially wasting the base's limited resources. The best way to ensure your A/C unit operates at optimum levels is to replace or clean your filters every 30 days. The self-help store has replacement filters on-hand to support you. If you do not know where the filters are located, call the Housing Office at 676-6232 and one of our housing inspectors will gladly either tell you over the phone or come to your quarters to show you where the filters are located and how to remove them. Please help us keep your house comfortable at a minimum expense as we enter into the summer season.