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

One of the most common problems that we hear about at TML Service Experts in Boise is filthy air filters. They may seem like a very tiny 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 host of concerns 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 may encounter:

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the greatest headache you’ll note 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 hinders 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 due to a clogged air filter, you also run the risk of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s running 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 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 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
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Diminished air quality
• More dust and debris
• Lack of comfort