DIY Home Fragrance Fails To Skip With Your HVAC Air Filters

Posted on: 8 February 2016

With vents in every room and ductwork running throughout the house, the HVAC system of a home is somewhat like a giant diffuser that routes heating and cooling in every direction. If you are trying to make your home feel pleasant, fresh, or clean, you may be tempted to do something to the air filter which slips into the HVAC system so that the desirable odor circulates throughout the rest of the house. This may sound like a good idea, but there are several bad ideas to leave alone when it comes to making your home smell nice and using your air filter could definitely be a bad idea. here are a few DIY fragrance fails to avoid with your HVAC air filters.  

Fragrance Fail: Spraying the air filter with aerosol air fresheners. 

Why is this a problem? Spraying aerosol air fresheners on your air filter is never a good idea for one BIG reason: These products tend to contain chemicals that can be corrosive. If you are like most homeowners, you regularly maintain your home's HVAC system to avoid such problem, but directly spraying air freshener onto the filter will just lead to these chemicals being distributed all throughout the system which can be incredibly damaging over time. 

Fragrance Fail: Attaching fragranced dryer sheets to the air filter. 

Why is this a problem? Those dryer sheets smell so nice that you may be tempted to attach a few to the air filter so the whole house radiates the same odor. The problem with this is dryer sheets can affect the air flow through the filter, making it difficult for the HVAC system to "breathe" normally and taxing the system. Instead of sticking dryer sheets to the air filter, try attaching them to the underside of air vents in each room for a similar effect that will not harm the HVAC unit at all. 

Fragrance Fail: Soaking the air filter in essential oils. 

Why is this a problem? You may even find recommendations online for this DIY fragrance idea, but it is never a good idea to soak your air filter in anything at all. Even though essential oils are considered a natural and safe product, the excess moisture can get inside of your ducts where it will encourage mold and mildew growth. It is fine to dab a few drops of essential oil on the filter, but don't go overboard.

For more tips or information, contact a company like Ryan Filter Sales Inc.

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