What Can Happen When You Have a Dirty Air Filter?
Posted by admin on June 30, 2014, at 10:00 am
A noticeable reduction in your HVAC system’s efficiency or performance could signal the need for a filter change. At the first sign of reduced performance, your initial step should be a quick filter check. If you discover a dirty air filter, chances are good that a filter change may be all that’s needed to correct the problem. At the same time, if airflow seems inadequate, you’ll also want to check for other less-complex problems, such as closed or blocked registers.
If the problem persists in spite of a filter change and open, clear registers, your safest bet would be to have an HVAC professional inspect the system to determine whether heating or A/C maintenance is needed and to rule out more technical problems. If your system hasn’t had a tune-up in a while, this is an important step in making sure your system is running efficiently and reducing the amount of dust, dirt and other contaminants your system must repeatedly filter throughout the day. This step will help keep your air filter clean longer, while vastly improving indoor air quality.
Problems Caused by a Dirty Air Filter
A dirty air filter can be easy to ignore — at least until its effects become more acute. However, it’s never wise to wait that long since many issues are well underway by the time the problem becomes clearly noticeable. Here are some of the symptoms that may indicate that you’ve waited longer than you should have to clean or replace your filter:
- Furnace short-cycling
- Poor indoor air quality
- Uneven heating and cooling due to reduced airflow
- Undue strain on your system, potentially leading to breakdown
- Mold buildup in ductwork during air conditioning season
- Buildup of dust, dirt and other allergens in air ducts year-round
- Excessive dust and dirt on HVAC fan blades, around vents and on indoor surfaces
- Significant reduction of system efficiency
Benefits of Regular Filter Changes
As you can easily see from the above list of issues that can occur due to a dirty or clogged air filter, keeping up with air filter changes is critical for many reasons. But, to look at it from another angle, let’s list the benefits of regular filter changes:
- Greater system efficiency
- Cleaner indoor air
- Lower utility bills
- Longer equipment life
- Fewer HVAC repair bills
- Cleaner physical environment
- More consistent comfort throughout the year
Keeping Dayton Area Homes & Businesses Comfortable Year-Round
If you live or own a business in Southeast Texas, call our office today to schedule your next heating and A/C maintenance service. At Henscey Electric and A/C, our experts are standing by to provide the HVAC services that go hand-in-hand with your conscientious heating and air conditioning filter changes to keep your system running efficiently during all four seasons of the year.