It's easy to forget about the air filter in your home, but not changing it for a year can have serious consequences. It will take longer to get your home to the desired temperature, and indoor air quality will decrease. The components of your HVAC system won't last that long, and 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. Immediate problems may include headaches, itchy eyes or throat, and dizziness.
If the air filters are not changed and problems persist, the long-term effects could be respiratory disease, heart disease, or cancer. A clogged air filter makes it difficult for the unit to function properly. The amount of strain caused by a dirty filter means that the motors in your systems are working longer than they were designed to work. If the air filter is clogged and can't keep contaminants out of the air as they should, those elements can return to the air you breathe.
As a result, immediate problems could include itchy eyes or throat, headaches, and more. If you continue with that same air filter and the problems keep pace, the long-term impacts could be serious. They include possible heart disease, respiratory disease, and even cause cancer, experts say. The danger of not changing the air filter in the house for a long time is that it will eventually lead to damage to the oven.
This means that the entire system will be destroyed by excess heat. It can cause a total breakdown if your system is working too hard to move through blocked air filters. Evaporative coils, which help remove heat from the air to keep the house cool, can freeze if they are overworked. Depending on the type of HVAC unit you have, it's sometimes possible to look inside and see if the filters are dirty or not.
If the air filter is dirty and you have problems with the air conditioner, most of the time it always returns to the clogged filter. Once you understand what really happens when you forget to change the filter, you're likely to be more inclined to replace it consistently. If you are replacing an old or disposable filter, you should also consider purchasing a HEPA filter to trap contaminants. If you have a higher efficiency filter and don't change the AC filter often enough, a buildup of moisture can cause mold to build up in the ducts, leading to serious mold infestations. If you've done this once or twice and haven't seen any destruction, you may start to think it's OK not to change the filter.
But if you neglected to change your AC filter for some time, there is a good chance that a lot of dust will accumulate inside the ducts. Air filters are generally made of spun fiberglass or pleated paper and are surrounded by a cardboard frame. While this screen is designed to contain these small objects, the buildup can produce a wall that blocks the flow of all air. If you've never changed your air conditioning filter before, it's best to have an HVAC technician do it for you at least once so that you know how it's done correctly. It's important to remember that not changing your AC filter for a year can have serious consequences for your health and your home's HVAC system.
It's essential that you replace your AC filter regularly in order to maintain good indoor air quality and keep your HVAC system running smoothly.