What Happens When You Don’t Change Your Air Filter?
Home maintenance is ongoing and involves several systems to perform optimally. Whether you have forgotten about changing your air filters or are new to the responsibilities of having a house, it is an important task.
So, if you are wondering, “Do I need to change my air filters?” the answer is yes! The state of your air filter is directly related to
indoor air quality, in addition to the energy efficiency of your house. Let’s investigate further.
How Air Filters Work
Two systems utilize air filters: your furnace and your air conditioner.
Interestingly, they both use the same type of air filter, and because each is an independent unit, each needs its own.
Once in place, the air filter’s multi-layered honeycomb design helps to filter and trap airborne particles, hair, and dust as it passes through and into the home’s ductwork. Yet, do you need high-quality air filters for your HVAC?
High-efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA) help to eliminate 99.97% of allergens and pollutants from the air— including mold spores and dust as small as 3 microns.
How Often Should Air Filters Be Changed
Air filter changes depend on the inhabitants of the house. For example, pet owners require more frequent changes than a family without any. In addition, people with more severe allergies or health conditions have different indoor air quality needs than completely unaffected people.
So, here is a guide for air filter changes:
- Every 6 to 12 months for vacation homes or single occupancy houses. (non-allergy sufferers)
- Every 3 months for urban residents without pets or health factors.
- Every 2 months for a single cat or dog.
- Every 20 to 45 days for allergy sufferers or those with multiple pets.
What Happens When You Don’t Change Your Air Filters
Forgetting to change your HVAC air filters drastically impacts your home’s efficiency and indoor air quality.
You may notice the house getting dustier, your family members get the sniffles or congested more, and the furnace seems to be running more.
Let’s dig deeper into the effects of not changing your air filters.
- High Energy Bills - Your air conditioning unit (AC) and furnace rely on airflow for optimal performance, and when restricted from an overdue air filter, it has to work extra hard to transmit hot or cold air. The only way it can compensate is to run for more extended periods, if not continually, causing your energy bills to go up.
- Health Risks - It fills and becomes clogged without changing your air filter regularly. Not only is it unable to filter the surrounding air, but the air filter now delivers doses of unwanted pollutants back into the house. The result is increased illness and allergy symptoms, some even becoming serious health risks.
- Poor Temperature Regulation - You would think that if the furnace or air conditioner is running all the time, at least the temperature would remain comfortable inside the home. However, this is not the case. Instead, you may notice that your HVAC is not keeping up regardless of the thermostat settings because airflow is restricted.
Overall, your air filters play an essential role in the effectiveness of your HVAC systems and help improve your indoor air quality.
Protect Your Indoor Air Quality With Professional Services
Maintaining your house should include the simple task of changing your furnace and AC filters regularly.
However, if this doesn’t seem to solve the problem, it may be time to call in the professional HVAC services of Home Saving Inc. in Gormley, ON.
Their certified HVAC technicians will quickly investigate and assess your furnace and air conditioning units before making any necessary repairs.
Protect your family and make your home more efficient today! Schedule your HVAC maintenance
online or call Home Saving Inc. at
647-800-7796 now!
