In this instructional monologue, Derek Cole explains that accumulated dirt is the primary cause of air‑conditioner and heater failures. He describes how dirty filters and motor components force the system to work harder, consume more energy, and eventually stop functioning. Cole emphasizes that homeowners can prevent most breakdowns by regularly checking and changing filters—a recommendation backed by Energy Star. He also advises having the entire unit professionally cleaned and inspected twice a year, especially before the heating or cooling season, to reduce stress on the system during extreme temperatures.
Chapters
All right, ready? Yeah. With the heat, you have a lot of capacitors, a lot of motors, a lot of contactors, and really it all goes back to dirt. Dirt is the killer of most air conditioners and heaters. So if you get the unit maintained, maintenance, cleaned, checked, Normally you do not have these kind of problems. If you do not, then it's a whole big process because the motor moves the air. The more you don't change the filter, the more dirt gets on the motor, the harder it has to work, the more energy it uses, and then that goes out and that stops your unit from working. It all goes back to dirt. Dirt is the number one cause of the problem. So you need to make sure your unit is maintenanced, maintained, cleaned, Check heating, cooling season, make sure it's checked before you get into that period so you know you're good to go. And if you go back to the first question, checking and changing your filter, that'll stop a lot of problems. According to Energy Star, this is the one thing you can do, you the homeowner can do for your system to prevent breakdowns. That's Energy Star saying that, it's not me saying that. So it starts there. Then have the unit cleaned and maintained and checked by a professional twice a year, and that will prevent— it won't stop the problems, but it will prevent a lot of what's going on in these extreme times when it's really hot or really cold because that system's under load, under stress, and it's going to break.
