What Happens When You Don’t Change Your Furnace’s Air Filter
One of the most basic issues that we come acress at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Fort Lauderdale is filthy air filters. They may seem like a very small piece of the big 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 dirty air filter can cause a variety of concerns for your heating and AC system.
So what exactly happens when you don’t remember to change your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you might encounter:
- Reduced airflow. This is easily the biggest problem 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 prevents air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working significantly harder to leave you with the same amount of air.
- Frozen coil. If your system is working 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 running overtime to give you 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 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 excessively. When your system short cycles, it could overheat or break down from the added work, possibly causing damage to your system.
In addition to these, you can also expect:
- A shorter equipment lifecycle
- Reduced energy efficiency
- Lower air quality
- More dust and debris
- Lack of comfort
If you’re not sure when you last changed your air filter, it may be a good time to do so in order to avert any possible damage that may come with a clogged air filter. If you don’t know where your home’s air filter is located or you simply have a question about the various air filters we carry, give Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning a call at 954-736-4314 or schedule an appointment online.