Like many modern American homeowners, you rely on an air conditioning system to keep your home and family cool throughout the summer season. Unfortunately, the system can fail when in use, leaving you at the mercy of summer's hot temperatures.

While you can always bring in an AC repair technician to carry out emergency repair work on your AC unit, it helps to learn about the potential causes of common AC problems. This way, you'll know where to look in the event of an AC issue in your home.

Dirty air filters are one of the most common culprits behind AC system malfunctions. If you experience the following AC problems, you might need an air filter change.

Inadequate Cooling Performance

Before the hot air from your interior living space can be cooled and returned to your home, it is passed through the air filter to remove airborne dirt particles. When this filter becomes dirty, it will impede the proper flow of air within your space-cooling system. This will result in a drop in cooling output, resulting in less-than-desired indoor temperatures.

If you place the back of your hand against the supply air vents, located near the ceilings of your home, and feel that the air coming out is not cool or cool enough, you may have a filthy air filter.

Noisy Air Conditioning Operation

Impeded airflow due to a dirty air filter will put extra strain on your air conditioning equipment, forcing it to run harder than it should to achieve the desired level of indoor comfort. This may cause the equipment to make odd noises during operation.

Never ignore any strange air conditioner noises, as they may indicate that your cooling equipment is working under serious strain and may break down anytime.

Increased Home Cooling Bills

When your AC unit runs too hard due to restricted airflow, spiking energy bills become inevitable. If you can't explain why your domestic energy bills are suddenly going up during the cooling season, checking the air filter is a good way to begin the troubleshooting process.

A dirty air filter is not always the cause of the above-highlighted AC problems, but it's definitely one of the most likely culprits to watch out for. Replacing a dirty air filter is an easy fix that you can carry out yourself, but if you lack the know-how, you can always hire a fully trained AC technician to do it for you.

For more information on air conditioning repair, contact a professional near you.