With the winter weather getting as harsh as it does here in Illinois, it should come as no surprise to hear us suggest that you do everything possible to ensure the successful operation of your furnace. Investing in a great furnace, scheduling routine furnace maintenance, and handling furnace repairs in Romeoville, IL promptly will help to ensure that this is the case. There is one other step that too many homeowners overlook, though, and that is changing the air filter.
Now, you’re probably wondering why your furnace technician doesn’t just change your air filter during your scheduled tune-up. The answer is that he or she does. However, it needs to happen more frequently than once a year. Much more frequently, in fact. Typically, your furnace’s air filter is going to need to be changed once every 1-3 months. Failure to do so can have a number of different negative effects. Read on to learn more about how a dirty air filter can negatively affect you.
Reduced Energy Efficiency
Regardless of how frequently you have to run your heating system, you never want to be paying more than you should have to in order to heat your home. If you allow your furnace to get clogged up due to infrequent replacement, though, that is definitely a problem that you are very likely to encounter. A clogged filter is going to make your furnace’s job more difficult than it should be, and that means that your system will use more energy than it should have to in order to heat your home.
A dirty filter is going to create more airflow resistance than is normal. Think about how much more difficult it is to breathe through a kinked straw or hose than it is one that is unobstructed. Simply spending a few dollars on a new filter is one of the easiest ways in which to save money when heating your home.
Increased Wear and Tear
When your furnace has to work harder than it should have to in order to do its job, it is going to accrue more wear and tear than it otherwise would. That means that your system is going to grow less and less efficient over time. It also means that your system will be at an increased risk of suffering operational problems.
Some wear and tear is going to develop over the course of the heating season, of course. That doesn’t mean that you should be content with putting your system through the wringer unnecessarily, though. Change your air filter to cut down on system wear and tear and reduce the risk of damages.
Subpar Indoor Air Quality
The purpose of this basic air filter in the furnace is not to improve indoor air quality throughout your entire house. Instead, it serves to protect your HVAC system itself from the ravages that dust and dirt accumulation can wreak on the equipment. That being said, a very dirty air filter can and will negatively affect your indoor air quality.
When the filter is very dirty, air may actually be forced around that filter. It is going to take the path of least resistance. When that happens, dust and dirt can be sucked right into your ductwork–and then distributed throughout your entire house!
Schedule your furnace services with DuAll Heating & Cooling.
