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

One of the most common problems that we encounter at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Denver is dirty air filters. They may seem like a very small piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us maintain comfort is a lot bigger than most homeowners recognize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a dirty air filter can cause a host of concerns for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you forget to change your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you might encounter:

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the biggest problem you’ll notice when your home’s air filter is very clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being changed, 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 operating 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 more than it should. When your system short cycles, it may overheat or break down from the added work, which could end up causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

• A diminished equipment lifecycle
• Decreased energy efficiency
• Lower air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort