Dirty Air Filter Affect Home | Sound Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

In short, yes. There’s a reason we encourage changing your air filter on a regular basis: 3 times a month during periods of heavy HVAC system use is the general recommendation. Many homeowners might assume a dirty air filter is a problem because it contaminates the indoor air. It’s somewhat true, but only minimally.

The air filter is in place for much more than preventing allergens from moving back into your indoor air. It blocks particles and debris from damaging the inside components of your air conditioner. When the air filter is dirty, it’s no longer able to do this job, and the problem affects your home in many ways.

It Decreases Your Home Comfort

The air filter may seem like a small component of your climate control system, and it is—but it plays a large role. It is what stands between the intake air and your HVAC system. Therefore, a clogged filter will prevent air from circulating through the vents.

As a result, you won’t have enough airflow coming through to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. If you’ve ever noticed hot or cold spots in your home, or temperatures that don’t seem to match what it says on the thermostat, then a clogged air filter may be to blame.

It Can Cause Property Damage

You may be scratching your head on this one, but hear us out. Your cooling system functions by absorbing heat from the air in your home. As refrigerant evaporates in the indoor evaporate coil, it’s able to absorb heat from air blowing over the coil. However, if your air filter is clogged, then the warm air is limited and could cause the coil to freeze.

As this ice thaws, water could leak into your home, causing structural damage. A frozen coil is more of a problem than you may realize, as it leads to many other AC issues. But changing your air filter on a regular basis helps prevent this.

Your Energy Bills Will Increase

When your system’s air filter is clogged, the blower fan must work much harder to bring in the right amount of air. Changing the air filter on a regular basis is one of the easiest steps you can take to keep your utility bills down where they should be.

You Damage Your HVAC System

When it comes down to it, HVAC units are designed to take in a certain amount of air each time they cycle. When airflow is limited, the components of the system have to work harder to do their jobs. This means you can expect an increased amount of wear and tear over the months you’re using the system—which can lead to system failure right when you need it the most.

Changing your air filter regularly, and scheduling routine maintenance, is the best way to make sure your system lasts a long time and you won’t have to worry about big AC emergencies. Of course, when something does go wrong, you can rely on our Olympia, WA air conditioning services to get your system back up and running ASAP.