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

One of the most basic problems that we encounter at Epperson Service Experts in Hilton Head Island is dirty 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 bigger than most homeowners realize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a filthy air filter can cause a host of concerns 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 greatest issue you’ll notice when your home’s air filter is severely clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being switched, the more dirt, dust and other particles build up. Of course, this inhibits air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working quite a bit harder to provide you with 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 working overtime to give you cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a threat if your air filter goes unchanged 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 shorter equipment lifecycle
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Diminished air quality
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort