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

One of the most routine issues that we encounter at Fras-Air/General Service Experts in Hillsborough is dirty air filters. They may seem like a very tiny piece of the big 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 filthy air filter can cause a number of concerns for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you don’t remember to change your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you could encounter:

• Reduced airflow. This is easily the biggest issue you’ll note when your home’s air filter is severely clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being switched, 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 significantly harder to provide you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is working harder due to a clogged air filter, you also run the danger of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s working overtime to leave 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 breaks 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 can overheat or break down from the added work, possibly causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

• A shorter equipment lifecycle
• Decreased energy efficiency
• Diminished air quality
• More dust and debris
• Lack of comfort