The following article was published by CarJunky.com.
Clean Air Filters Save on Gas
By: CarJunky.com
Nov 6, 2006
Everyone is looking for ways to optimize their gas dollars. Rising fuel costs have reached their highest point in recent history and car owners are feeling the crunch. It is an excellent idea to find ways to help your car perform at its best while using as little fuel as possible to make the necessary car trips. Car maintenance has more to do with fuel usage than most people realize. The maintenance chores that are good for the car are also good for saving valuable dollars at the pump.
One of the fastest ways to save up to 15% in gas usage is to check the car’s air filter. These devices are responsible for keeping dirt out of the vehicle’s engine. When a dirty or faulty air filter allows dirt into the engine, high priced repairs are often the only fix. Obviously an engine that isn’t running at its full capability will use more fuel to do the same job at a lower rate of success. That doesn’t bode well for your wallet. A simple air filter replacement will save money at the pumps and protect the life of the car’s engine.
Well, consider your house a car because the same principles apply to heating & cooling your home. Air filters are responsible for keeping dirt out of your home’s furnace and air conditioner. When poor filters are used, dust and grime build up on your air conditioner’s internal cooling coils. This causes your air conditioner to use more energy to cool the air, thus driving up your utility costs. The cleaner the coils, the better they remove heat from the passing air, so it’s important to make sure dust is filtered out of the air before it passes across the coils. Heating & Cooling accounts for over 60% of the average home’s maintenance costs. So it’s very important to change your air filters, because it can cost you big bucks!