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

One of the most routine problems that we encounter at Matz-Rightway in Long Island is dirty air filters. They can seem like a very insignificant piece of the big home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us maintain comfort is a lot bigger than most homeowners recognize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a filthy air filter can cause a variety of problems for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you forget to switch out your air filter? Here are a just a handful of the side effects you could encounter:

• Reduced airflow. This is easily the largest problem you’ll note when your home’s air filter is severely 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 significantly harder to leave you with the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running 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 operating overtime to provide you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a possibility if your air filter goes neglected 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 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
• Diminished air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort