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

One of the most basic problems that we encounter at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Livermore is dusty air filters. They can 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 larger than most homeowners notice. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a filthy air filter can cause a variety of issues for your heating and AC system.

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

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the biggest problem you’ll note when your home’s air filter is badly clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being switched, 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 leave you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is working harder as a result of a filthy 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 possibility if your air filter goes unattended 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 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
• Decreased air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort