What Happens When You Don’t Change Your Furnace’s Air Filter
One of the most basic concerns that we hear about at Rob's Albertan Service Experts in Edmonton is filthy air filters. They can seem like a very small piece of the big home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create 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 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 few of the side effects you may encounter:
- Reduced airflow. This is easily the largest problem you’ll recognize 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 inhibits air from passing through the filter as it should, meaning your system is working significantly harder to provide 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 danger of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s running 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 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 all the time. When your system short cycles, it can 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 shorter equipment lifecycle
- Decreased energy efficiency
- Diminished air quality
- Increase in 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 get around any potential damage that could come with a filthy air filter. If you don’t know where your home’s air filter is located or you simply have a question about the variety of air filters we have, give Rob's Albertan Service Experts a call at 780-800-9047 or schedule an appointment online.
