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

One of the most routine concerns that we encounter at Becht/Givens Service Experts in Louisville is dirty air filters. They may 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 realize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a clogged air filter can cause a number of concerns for your heating and AC system.

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

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the biggest headache you’ll recognize 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 prevents air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working a lot harder to leave you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running harder because of a dirty air filter, you also run the danger of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s running overtime to leave you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a probability if your air filter goes unattended 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 more than it should. When your system short cycles, it could overheat or break down from the added work, possibly causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

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