After awhile, air conditioning systems function less efficiently, resulting in less cool (or hot) air coming out of your vents. One of the primary causes of this is a dirty air filter. Several A/C systems have a "permanent type" filter that does not need to ever be replaced, but does require regular cleaning.
Advice:
Don't - Run your A/C while the filter is not installed. This can damage it.
Do - turn off power to the A/C system at the circuit breaker panel before working on it. Some parts use very high voltage.
Do - observe where electrical wires are, and be cautious to not move or contact them when possible.
My A/C system is fairly old, so I spent a lot of time systematically inspecting it and finding screws to unscrew in order to remove panels to take a look inside. I eventually found the correct panel, and finding the filter was no easy task. It was horizontal and not easy to see, but once I identified it (with the assistance of a flash light), I was able to remove it.
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I then washed the filter out with a water hose outside and scrubbed it with an old cloth. This type of filter is perfectly fine to run water over, and even soap! I then dried it off with a hair dryer before reinstalling it in the A/C system.
Materials:
Cleaning cloth - $0.00
Can these Permanent Filters be used for any Central AC system?