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

One of the most basic concerns that we hear about at Jack Nelson Service Experts in Tulsa is filthy air filters. They can seem like a very insignificant piece of the overall home comfort puzzle, but the role they play in helping us create 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 issues for your heating and AC system.

So what exactly happens when you neglect 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 greatest problem 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 working harder because of a dirty air filter, you also run the danger of having the cooling coil freeze inside of the system, because it’s operating 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 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 more than it should. When your system short cycles, it could overheat or break down from the added work, potentially causing damage to your system.

In addition to these, you can also expect:

• A diminished equipment lifecycle
• Lower energy efficiency
• Lower air quality
• Greater dust and debris
• Lack of comfort