What Happens if You Don't Change Your HVAC Filters

If you don't change the AC filter, it will start to fail. You will no longer be able to filter the air properly, allowing dust and contaminants to enter the air conditioner. Dust clogs moving parts of an air conditioner, such as fan motors and valves. Airflow is restricted, creating a strain on the system.

A dirty filter reduces airflow to your HVAC system and makes it work harder, using more energy and costing you more money. If the air filter is clogged and can't trap contaminants like it used to, those things can go back to the air that everyone in your home breathes. This can lead to immediate problems such as headaches, itchy eyes or throat, and dizziness. In the long-term, not changing your air filters can result in respiratory disease, heart disease, or cancer. If the oven is running, the lack of air flow will trap heat in the system.

As the temperature inside the system continues to rise, the limit switch will activate and turn off the oven to prevent it from overheating. This will temporarily mitigate the problem, but will not resolve the root of the problem. Without a new air filter, the oven will overheat every time it is turned on again. This is known as short cycling. The long-term effect of not changing the HVAC filter is the eventual failure of your unit.

Getting the most value out of your home can be as easy as changing air filters. Homeowners who ignore filters in their heating and air conditioning systems risk increasing energy costs, damaging expensive equipment, and decreasing indoor air quality and personal health.

What Can Happen if You Don't Change Your Air Filters?

With a dirty air filter, expect to increase the uptime of your HVAC system while only changing the air temperature in small increments. Now that we've covered the importance of regularly changing your air filter, here are some tips to help you do that.

Why Should You Change Your Air Filter?

But what happens if you let that time go by a little? Before we talk about WHEN the air filter should be changed, let's start with the WHY. Of course, the goal of this post is to make it clear that you would save yourself a little frustration if you changed your air filter every few months. Changing air filters on a regular basis can help preserve the life of your system and make it work more efficiently.

Replacing the entire system can cost you huge amounts of money, and it's almost the same as buying a new HVAC unit. But why is this? How can something as simple as changing an air filter be so important? The truth is that not changing your air filter on a regular basis can cause a number of problems with your HVAC system.

Signs That You Need To Change Your Air Filter

If you notice that your HVAC system is not working with the same efficiency, changing the air filters could solve the problem. However, there are times when your HVAC will show warning signs that filters need to be changed. If you are looking for an air conditioner repair in Atlanta or downtown HVAC, contact Moncrief Heating & Air Conditioning with any problems or questions you may have regarding your HVAC system.

How Often Should You Change Your Air Filter?

In general, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days or 3 months. A modern thermostat will track how often you change your air filter and remind you to change it with an email or phone notification. So instead of waiting to see what happens if you don't change your air filter for a long time, it's best to change it.