Are you trying to save money on monthly expenses and are considering running your furnace without a filter? As a trusted HVAC contractor in Bainbridge, GA, Cooper’s Plumbing & Air can help you understand what happens if there is no filter in the furnace. Keep reading to learn why running your furnace without a filter will likely result in losing money in the long run.
The Role of Your Furnace Filter
Every furnace uses a filter, though each furnace might have several types of compatible filters. Before the air passes through your filter, the heat exchanger heats it to your desired temperature. The blower fan pushes it through the air filter and into the ductwork.
The air filter’s primary function is removing dust, allergens, and other organic compounds that can adversely affect your home and family. You might feel like dirty air is an adequate trade-off for the money you save buying a new filter every month or so, but a dirty filter, or the absence of one, can have serious unintended consequences.
The Risks of Running Your Furnace Without a Filter
If you decide to run your furnace without the right filter, you’re putting your home and family at risk of the following issues.
Poor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality is the most obvious effect of running your furnace without an air filter. Even an air purifier won’t provide enough power to compensate for the missing air filter. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences estimates that Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors, which means indoor air quality can affect you even more than highly polluted air outside.
At best, poor air quality means you smell all the bad odors in your home, from bathroom exhaust to last night’s food waste. At worst, you’ll develop health issues, which can range from minor and acute to chronic and serious.
Health Issues
If you’re vulnerable to allergies or respiratory issues, running your furnace without an air filter will make them worse, and you’ll find yourself with a persistent running nose, cough, sneeze, and even itchy eyes, throat, and skin.
A Dirty Home
Without a clean air filter, the furnace can’t filter dust and dirt from your home, and you’ll notice it building up all over your home. Not only will this worsen your allergies and respiratory conditions, but you’ll also find yourself putting more work into cleaning.
In this case, no matter how much work you put into keeping your surfaces free of dust, it won’t be enough. The dust will settle in your ductwork, meaning you won’t reach it without professional help, and the dust will just keep circulating throughout your home.
Furnace Issues
What happens if there is no filter in the furnace? You’ll end up paying for it in the long run because you’ll have more frequent and severe problems than you would with the filter.
With more dirt and dust in your HVAC system, some of it will settle on the inner pieces of your furnace. When your furnace is dirty, it must work harder and will wear out faster. The dirt can also cause a lack of lubrication, which makes the components of your furnace, like the blower fan, grind and scrape, eventually causing it to break.
While you’ll find some of these repairs affordable, their expenses quickly add up. You may just have to buy a new furnace much sooner than you would have with a working air filter.
Maintaining Your Furnace Filter
Whether you have an energy-efficient furnace or an older model, properly maintaining it is the best way to save money. One of the easiest elements of furnace maintenance is the filter. If you handle that, a professional can keep your furnace running more affordably with fewer repairs and lower utility bills.
Choose the Right Filter
Find the right size filter for your furnace to ensure it works properly. You’ll see three dimensions (length x width x height), and you can find the right size in your furnace’s manual. Choose from one of the following filter types, depending on what your furnace can support:
- Fiberglass filters are the most affordable, but they only last a month.
- Pleated fabric filters cost about twice as much as fiberglass but can last up to 90 days.
- Electrostatic filters come in cleanable and replaceable models and can last up to 90 days.
Maintain the Filter
HVAC experts suggest you change or clean your filter at least once a month, though some filters can last up to 90 days. If any of the following apply to you, you’ll likely replace your filter more often:
- If you’re a smoker, you’ll clog your air filter faster, so check it at least twice a month.
- If you have cats or dogs that shed, you’re probably aware of how much extra dust, dander, and fur they create. Depending on the season, check your filter weekly.
- If you have bad allergies or a respiratory condition, check the filter twice a month to avoid flare-ups.
- Living in a polluted area can more quickly clog your air filter.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
To keep your furnace running at peak efficiency and avoid frequent and expensive repairs, schedule maintenance for your furnace at least once a year. If you schedule it in the fall, you can have confidence knowing it will make it through winter when you need it most.
Cooper’s Plumbing & Air for Reliable Furnace Services
Now that you understand what happens if there is no filter in the furnace, you can work with Cooper’s Plumbing & Air to help protect your furnace and your health. Our knowledgeable professionals and prompt service can help you maintain your furnace so you can get the greatest value from your furnace filter.
Contact the HVAC Specialists Today
Whether you need to schedule your furnace yearly inspection or need help understanding what filter you should buy, Cooper’s Plumbing & Air can help. To schedule an appointment, call (866) 464-7132 today.