The air conditioning system serving your Harrisburg, Hershey, Carlisle, Middletown and Palmyra area home brings in fresh air from outside to cool. The only thing keeping all manner of pollutants – dust, allergens, mold, animal dander, exhaust fumes, whatever nasty little things you don’t want to breathe in – is your air conditioning system’s air filter. A dirty air conditioning system filter allows bacteria and allergens to build up and blow right into your home, potentially causing allergies, bronchitis, even Legionnaire’s disease. A dirty filter causes the system to work harder and more expensively, too. You definitely want to keep a clean air filter on your home cooling system. This is one maintenance task you can do yourself. You can simply swap out the dirty filter for a new, clean one every couple of months so you’re sure there’s nothing dangerous in there – they’re inexpensive and easy to change. Otherwise, you can refer to your manufacturer’s manual for instructions on how to clean the existing filter. Your best option is to have a licensed CROH Heating & Air technician show you how to do it when he’s there doing your spring tune-up or any necessary repairs before you start using the system this summer. Whatever you do, if you do decide to clean the filter yourself, make sure it is completely dry before you put it back in, or the remaining water will invite the growth of the very bacteria you are trying to keep out.