What Happens When You Don't Change Your Furnace's Air Filter

One of the most common problems that we encounter at D&K Home Services by Enercare in Belleville is dirty air filters. They can seem like a very insignificant piece of the big home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us control comfort is a lot larger than most homeowners realize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a filthy air filter can cause a host of concerns for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you neglect to change your air filter? Here are a just a handful of the side effects you may encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the greatest issue you’ll note when your home’s air filter is badly clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being swapped out, the more dirt, dust and other particles build up. Of course, this inhibits air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working quite a bit harder to give you the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running harder as a result of a filthy air filter, you also run the risk of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s operating overtime to provide you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a threat if your air filter goes neglected 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 all the time. When your system short cycles, it may overheat or break down from the added work, possibly causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

• A diminished equipment lifecycle
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Diminished air quality
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort