What Happens When You Don't Change Your Furnace's Air Filter
One of the most basic problems that we come acress at Service Experts in the U.S. is dusty air filters. They might seem like a very insignificant piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create comfort is a lot greater than most homeowners notice. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a dirty air filter can cause a number of problems for your heating and AC system.
So what exactly happens when you don't remember to swap out your air filter? Here are just a handful of the side effects you might encounter:
- Decreased airflow. This is easily the biggest headache you’ll notice when your home’s air filter is badly clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being changed, the more dirt, dust and other particles build up. Of course, this hinders air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working significantly harder to give you the same amount of air.
- Frozen coil. If your system is operating harder as a result of a dirty air filter, you also run the danger of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s operating overtime to give you cool air.
- Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a probability if your air filter goes unchanged for months and months on end. In essence, you will have worked your system so hard that something gives out or wears out and needs to be replaced or serviced.
- Short cycling. Short cycling means the heating and cooling system turns on and off excessively. When your system short cycles, it could overheat or break down from the added work, which could end up causing damage to your system.
In addition to these, you can also expect:
- A shortened equipment lifecycle
- Lower energy efficiency
- Decreased air quality
- Increase in dust and debris
- Lack of comfort
If you’re not sure when you last changed your air filter, it may be a good time to do so in order to get around any possible damage that might come with a dirty air filter. If you don’t know where your home’s air filter is located or you simply have a question about the variety of air filters we carry, give Service Experts a call at (866) 963-7996 or schedule an appointment online.
