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

One of the most common issues that we encounter at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Longmont is filthy air filters. They might seem like a very insignificant piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us control comfort is a lot greater than most homeowners recognize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a dirty air filter can cause a number of issues 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:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the greatest problem you’ll notice when your home’s air filter is badly clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being swapped out, 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 significantly harder to give you the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is operating harder as a result of a filthy air filter, you also run the chance of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s working overtime to leave you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a probability 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, possibly causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

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