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

One of the most basic concerns that we come acress at All American Air Service Experts in Daytona Beach is filthy air filters. They can seem like a very small piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create comfort is a lot larger than most homeowners notice. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a dirty air filter can cause a host of issues 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 might encounter:

• Reduced airflow. This is easily the biggest headache you’ll notice when your home’s air filter is severely 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 working harder due to a clogged air filter, you also run the chance 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 quits working 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 may 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
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Decreased air quality
• More dust and debris
• Lack of comfort