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

One of the most routine problems that we come acress at Neal Harris Service Experts in Kansas City is dusty air filters. They might 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 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 neglect to change your air filter? Here are a just a couple of the side effects you may encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the biggest issue 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 a lot harder to give you the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running harder due to a clogged air filter, you also run the risk of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s operating overtime to leave you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a threat 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 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
• Lower energy efficiency
• Lower air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort