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

One of the most basic problems that we encounter at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Melbourne is filthy air filters. They might seem like a very tiny piece of the big 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 filthy air filter can cause a number of issues 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 couple of the side effects you might encounter:

• Decreased airflow. This is easily the greatest issue you’ll note when your home’s air filter is very 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 a lot harder to leave you with 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 provide you with 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 all the time. When your system short cycles, it could 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
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort