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

One of the most basic concerns that we encounter at Finch Air Conditioning & Heating in Kingwood is dirty air filters. They can seem like a very small piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us control 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 host of problems 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 handful of the side effects you may encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the biggest issue you’ll note when your home’s air filter is very clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being changed, 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 significantly harder to provide you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is operating 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 unattended 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 can 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 shortened equipment lifecycle
• Lower energy efficiency
• Decreased air quality
• More dust and debris
• Lack of comfort