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

One of the most basic issues that we come acress at Kingston Home Services by Enercare in Kingston is dusty air filters. They may seem like a very tiny piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create comfort is a lot bigger than most homeowners notice. 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 don’t remember to switch out your air filter? Here are a just a few of the side effects you could encounter:

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the biggest headache you’ll note when your home’s air filter is severely clogged. The longer the air filter goes without being swapped out, 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 a lot harder to give you the same amount of air.
• Frozen coil. If your system is running 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 working overtime to leave 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 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 excessively. When your system short cycles, it may 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
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Decreased air quality
• Increase in dust and debris
• Lack of comfort