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

One of the most routine problems that we encounter at Levy & Son Service Experts in Dallas is dusty air filters. They may seem like a very small piece of the big home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us maintain comfort is a lot larger than most homeowners recognize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a filthy air filter can cause a number of problems for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you neglect to swap out your air filter? Here are a just a couple of the side effects you might 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 switched, 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 quite a bit harder to leave you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running harder as a result of a filthy air filter, you also run the risk 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 neglected 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 excessively. When your system short cycles, it can overheat or break down from the added work, potentially causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

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