What Happens When You Don’t Change Your Furnace’s Air Filter
One of the most basic problems that we come acress at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Fort Lauderdale is dirty air filters. They can seem like a very insignificant 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 clogged air filter can cause a variety of problems for your heating and AC system.
So what exactly happens when you neglect to change your air filter? Here are a just a handful of the side effects you might encounter:
- Decreased airflow. This is easily the largest problem 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 prevents air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working quite a bit harder to provide you with the same amount of air.
- Frozen coil. If your system is running harder because of 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 unattended 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 more than it should. 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 shortened equipment lifecycle
- Reduced energy efficiency
- Lower air quality
- Increase in dust and debris
- Lack of comfort
If you’re not sure when you last switched out your air filter, it may be a good time to do so in order to avert any possible damage that may come with a dirty air filter. If you don’t know where your home’s air filter is located or you simply have a question about the number of air filters available, give Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning a call at 954-736-4314 or schedule an appointment online.