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

One of the most routine issues that we hear about at Donelson Air Service Experts in Nashville is dusty air filters. They may seem like a very insignificant piece of the whole home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us maintain 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 issues for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you neglect to swap out your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you may encounter:

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the largest headache you’ll note when your home’s air filter is very 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 give you the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is working 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 provide you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a probability 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 could 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
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Decreased air quality
• More dust and debris
• Lack of comfort