Not changing your air filter is a bad idea. The air filter in your home is often the easiest to replace, yet most homeowners frequently ignore this task. Unfortunately, many people tend to under-estimate the effects of avoiding timely air filter replacements. Air filters are layered to each other so that the air entering into your home is filtered and free of contaminants. Thus, they are solely responsible for the air you breathe inside your home.
Not Changing the Filter when the Furnace Operates
Your HVAC system takes the atmospheric air outside and pulls it into your home for regulation. The air particles have to pass through the air filter before they enter into your home.
Air filters consist of many tiny and tangled fibers. Together, these fibers form convoluted pathways for the air to pass through. Larger dust particles in the air are unable to pass through the air filters. While, small particles that are harmful have to also face blockage because of the twisting and turning pathways inside the filter.
Other small particles are trapped due to their irregular movements in the air. This is because they end up colliding with the filter and getting trapped. After trapping the smallest and the largest particles, the ones that are medium-sized and safe for inhalation are left to pass through.
Do Filters Need Replacement?
Like any other extractable and replaceable components, air filters have a lifespan. You want to make sure that you change the air filters in about three to four months. This is because if you leave them longer than that, their filtration efficiency decreases. This means that you indoor air quality will begin to get worse, which can be detrimental for your health.
It can also have an impact on your energy consumption because you intake and units will have to work harder to pull air out of the dust blockage in your filter. Your air filter does not have an unlimited capacity to trap contaminants, dust, and debris.
If you do not replace them in time, the dust and debris inside the air filters will accumulate. This can lead to problems of dust pollution and extra utility consumption. Not to mention, for people that live at dustier and more polluted regions, they have to replace the air filters more frequently than usual.
Overall, regularly breathing in dust of contaminants can lead to life-threatening or terminal lung conditions. Inhaling pollutants can also lead to a variety of other diseases such as asthma, silicosis, cancer, and more. These outcomes are not immediate outcomes, but they are become a reality overtime. This is why replacing them should be the top priority when it comes to HVAC maintenance.
When choosing a filter, you should notice the details about the filter on the package. On these packages, you will find specifications such as sizes, thicknesses, contaminants and more. If you live in a polluted area, then you may need a thicker filter. It is best to get an expert to help you out with selection and replacement.
