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

One of the most basic concerns that we encounter at Peachtree Service Experts in Atlanta is dusty air filters. They can seem like a very small piece of the big home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create comfort is a lot greater than most homeowners notice. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a clogged air filter can cause a variety 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 few of the side effects you may encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the biggest problem you’ll note 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 hinders air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working a lot harder to provide you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is operating harder because of a dirty air filter, you also run the chance 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 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 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 excessively. 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
• Lower energy efficiency
• Lower air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort