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

One of the most basic concerns that we hear about at A1 Chesney Service Experts in Calgary is filthy air filters. They can seem like a very insignificant piece of the whole 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 dirty air filter can cause a host of concerns for your heating and AC system.

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

• Diminished airflow. This is easily the greatest issue 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 working harder because of a dirty air filter, you also run the risk of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s working overtime to provide you with cool air.
• Total loss of cooling or heating. This is also a probability 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 more than it should. 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 shortened equipment lifecycle
• Reduced energy efficiency
• Diminished air quality
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort