The High Cost of Fragrant Air | DIY Deodorizing Could Be Unhealthy for Your Air Conditioner

One of the easiest ways for you to make your home smell more comfortable and clean is to invest in all of the fragrant items that can be found in the cleaning aisle at your local department store. While these products can work wonders, leaving your home smelling floral fresh or crisp and citrusy, it sometimes seems as if this just is not enough to distribute fragrance throughout your home.

If you are like a lot of homeowners, you have viewed your home's central air conditioning system as one giant diffuser. You may have even tried to combine fragrant products with your air unit in some way in the past and were satisfied with the results. However, a lot of the DIY ideas for making your home smell nice by using the air conditioning system can prove to be costly. Here is a closer look at why.

Foreign Materials Can Inhibit the Air Flow of the System

How many times have you heard that placing fabric softener sheets in the filter of your air unit works well to make your home smell fresh? This is one trick that can be found on just about any DIY or good housekeeping site. However, it is never a good idea to put any foreign material either on or against your air conditioner filter, even though it is a thin material. The filters are specifically designed to trap dust and allergens while allowing a sufficient amount of air flow through the system. Without appropriate air flow, the system has to work harder, which is never a good thing.

Foreign Contaminants Can Cause Damage to the Air Conditioner System

Essential oils, air-freshening sprays, and potpourri all smell wonderful, but they are designed to be used in certain ways. Unfortunately, a lot of people use these foreign chemicals to spray either into their air vents or even on the filter that goes to the air system. While this will do a good job of distributing fragrance, many of these products contain chemicals that will also do a job on your system, breaking down inner components and causing rust and corrosion.

Before you reach for that lovely scented oil, or stuff  dryer sheets in with your air filter, remember how it could harm your air conditioning system. If you have been practicing some of these home-deodorizing techniques for the long term, it is a good idea to have your air conditioner system checked out by a professional.