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

One of the most routine concerns that we encounter at San Antonio Air Service Experts in San Antonio is dusty air filters. They might 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 larger than most homeowners realize. Regardless if it is cooling season or heating season, having a clogged air filter can cause a variety of concerns for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you neglect to change your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you might encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the biggest headache 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 hinders 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 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 operating overtime to provide you with 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 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 excessively. 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 shorter equipment lifecycle
• Decreased energy efficiency
• Decreased air quality
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort